Love in London
by HelloCutePanda
Summary: AU/AH - Caroline and Klaus in London. A neurotic blonde and a womanizing crime lord finding love in each others arms.
1. Meeting

**I don't own VD**

**A/N - Hello - welcome to the story - this originally started as a drabble and became a story - so please don't mind the strange a/n that are in the first few chapters. **

XxX

"Steeeef-aaannn" Caroline called in a sing song voice. Swear to God she was almost skipping towards him as she enfolded him in a tight hug. "I have missed you so much! Have you missed me? I probably have missed you more. Speaking of which….. Stefan Salvatore, I have been in London for two weeks! What took you so long to see me?! Are you avoiding me? Is it a girl? You would tell me if it was a girl right? Is it a girl? Oh my God if you are holding out on me I will strangle you!" Caroline pulled back, her hands clutching his shoulders as if to shake the truth out of him.

Stefan laughed, shaking his head as his best friend continued to ramble. "No, Caroline. I have just been busy with my job."

"You're always busy with your job." She whined as she crossed her arms to glare at him. "What is so important about your job that you cannot make time for your best friend forever? Hmm?" Her head tilting to the side, her eye brows lifting as she waited for an answer.

Stefan just laughed and shook his head. "Well I'm here now. That is all that matters." Smiling he grabbed her by her elbows and pulled her onto the bar stool next to him. His hand lifting to signal the bar tender as he turned to smile at his friend.

Klaus had watched the whole exchange with a smirk of amusement. It was quite funny to watch his enforcer get sassed by a beautiful little blonde. Her red sun dress doing nothing to hide the sweet curves of her body, golden curls falling over bare shoulders, with skin that had been kissed by the sun – attesting the to the fact that she had indeed come from far away as the sun was never out long enough in London to bronze skin like that.

It was in that moment that Klaus decided he wanted her. He wanted to add her to his lists of conquests. He could already imagine those long lovely legs wrapped around his waist. He would have her moaning his name by the end of tonight. Pressing his hands against the arms of his chair he pushed himself up, hands tugging lightly at his Henley in an effort to look his best as he meandered up to the handsome pair that sat at the bar.

"Stefan, mate…. Won't you introduce me to your beautiful friend?" Klaus laid his hand on his enforcers shoulder, turning to face the lovely woman at his side. Caroline slid her drink back onto the counter as she turned to face the man who demanded an introduction. His voice was hot, she would give him that, of course the whole country was one huge damn sexy accent. The voice matched the body. Sandy blonde curls, cheek bones that were covered in a stubble that was just ridiculous in how sexy it was. Lashes flickering as she looked him over, his body lean and muscular. Klaus could not help but smile at her obvious perusal of his person. And all Caroline could think as she lifted her eyes back to his face was - God! He had dimples too?! - Caroline had just officially met a lady killer.

A cautious look crossed Stefan's face as he looked at his boss and then to his friend. Clearing his throat he ducked his head down for a moment before looking to Caroline. "Caroline this is Klaus. Klaus this is Caroline."

"You can call me Nik." He smiled as he took her hand and kissed the back of it lightly. Carline was startled for a moment before she pulled her hand away, rolling her eyes. "Nice to meet you." She murmured, already turning back to her drink.

She had been hit on enough to know the drill. Beautiful friend. Ha. You can call me Nik. Ha. Klaus lifted an eyebrow at her cold demeanor. A challenge. He liked a challenge. With a glare at the bloke sitting in the seat next to her, the man quickly got up and left. Klaus smiled as he moved slide into the seat beside her.

As his hand went up to signal the bar tender he tilted his head towards Caroline. "So tell me, love. What brings you to London?"

Caroline rolled her eyes as she swiveled in her seat to face him. "Look pal, I am too smart to be seduced by you. So cool it."

She could hear Stefan choke on his drink as he listened to her tell off his boss. She glanced over at him, her brows raised as if to say really?

Klaus laughed as he ordered a scotch from the bar tender. "I am not all that bad, love. Just trying to get to know my mates best friend forever" A smirk adorning his lips as he spouted off Stefan's title.

"So you are an ease dropper too? Rude." Caroline twisted once more to face Klaus, her long legs crossing one over the other as she leaned her elbow on the bar. Her slender fingers lifting her glass of rum and coke for a sip as she narrowed her eyes at Klaus.

Stefan at this point was on the edge of an aneurism. His best friend telling off the most dangerous criminal in London was generally not a good thing. Yet Klaus was more amused than insulted. He gave Caroline a huge smile, showcasing those dimples that were just too much to handle.

"I am heartbroken you think so low of me Caroline. " Klaus said as he clutched his heart. A look of anguish falling over his handsome face.

Caroline pursed her lips, as she watched the man before her. She was completely attracted to him, but there was no way in hell she was going to fall for him. He was a player through and though and that would just not do. Caroline did relationships, not one night stands.

"So sorry to wound your giant ego _Nik_, yet somehow I think you will survive." Her brows pulling together to as she gave him a mock look of pity before she turned to take another drink of her rum and coke. She was probably going to need a few of them to keep herself from giving in to the hot stranger beside her. God, how long has it been since she got laid? Tyler was her last time and that was a few months ago. No Caroline. You don't do one nightstands. Very bad! Very. She gave herself a slight nod after her internal pep talk and turned her attention to Stefan. He was the reason she was here after all.

"That's not the only thing that's giant, sweetheart." Klaus grinned as Caroline choked on her drink, coughing as she turned to glare at him, her soft cheeks bright pink with embarrassment. Stefan dropped his head chuckling at the exchange.

"Seriously? You did not just say that. Oh my God." Caroline screeched once she was able to get her breath back.

Klaus laughed as he took another sip of his drink. "And here I thought I would have to get you into my bed before I had you calling out to God." Caroline's eyes going wide with that statement.

"Not only are you rude and perverted you obviously are mistaken about where this is heading." Caroline growled lifting her hand to motion him and herself. "Because it is going no place. I don't know what kind of women you pick up with those lines because they are not going to work on me. In fact what kind of woman would even fall for those lines?" Klaus opened his mouth to answer but apparently the blonde did not intend the question for him. "Tramps. That is who fall for those kinds of lines. I mean honestly you would think that they would have better standards than that."

Before she could continue her tirade Stefan placed his hand on her arm. "Caroline, you're rambling." Caroline turned to glance at Stefan who had a shit eating grin on his face and then turned to face Klaus once more, a perplexed smile stretching those amazing lips of his. _No Caroline. There is nothing amazing about him. Those lips are not kissable. And you do NOT what to know what those lips would feel like on your skin. Damn it Caroline! Focus!_

"Right." She chirped. "Back to my point, I am not going to sleep with you. End of story." With that said she slid off her stool and flounced off to the bathrooms.

"Talk about crash and burn." Stefan laughed as he looked over at his boss who's eyes were on Caroline as she moved through the crowd.

"I will take that as a challenge, mate." Klaus replied as he turned his gaze to his enforcer.

"So how do you know Caroline?" Klaus asked casually. If he wasn't going to get information from her, he would get it from Stefan. He was intrigued with the lovely blonde. It was the first time a woman had not fallen for the famous Mikaelson charm hook line and sinker.

"We grew up together back in Virginia. I am pretty sure she decided I was her best friend the second day after we met." Stefan laughed as he shook his head remembering the blonde little girls declaration that from that day forth they would be best friends forever.

"Why is she in London?" Klaus asked. His fingers busy twirling the empty glass around as he kept his eyes peeled for the little blonde.

"Fashion correspondent for a fashion magazine and she was assigned to London. She writes articles for them."

Before Stefan could continue Caroline popped back onto her stool giving him a smile. "No, I came to London because I missed my best friend forever. I couldn't live without you any longer." Caroline teased as she pulled Stefan into a bear hug.

Stefan rolled his eyes as he laughed. "Yeah right."

Klaus smiled as he watched them interact before pulling his gaze away to signal the bar tender for another round of drinks. "How do you like London so far, sweetheart?"

For a moment he thought she wouldn't answer his question, but he was surprised that when she did answer it was serious one. "I love it! It so beautiful and there is so much to do here and oh my God the fashion is ridiculous."

Klaus couldn't help but admire her. Her bright blue eyes were dancing and she had a genuine smile on her lovely pink lips. Lips that he would like to see wrapped around his…. but before he could finish that thought he was pulled to attention when she asked him a question."I'm sorry what did you say?"

"What do you do in the shipping company? Stefan told me that you run it with your brothers. So what is it that you do?" She tilted her head as she waited for an answer. Klaus flicked his gaze to Stefan and saw him shake his head slightly. Looks like someone is keeping secrets from their best friend forever. A smirk touched his lips before looking back to Caroline.

"I do a lot of the planning for the most part. Although I do like to get out and get my hands dirty now and again." Klaus said taking another drink of his scotch.

Before she could ask another question they were interrupted by another voice. "Stefan mate, how are ya?" A dark haired man clapped Stefan on the shoulder as he turned to smile at Klaus and Caroline. His eyes immediately going to Caroline's legs as she turned in her seat to face him.

"And who is this lovely little number might I ask?"

Caroline rolled her eyes as Stefan motioned with his hand. "Kol this is Caroline. Caroline this is Kol."

Before she could speak he lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. "The pleasure is all mine I assure you." Kol purred .

Caroline ripped her hand away from his. "Yes it is." She snarked as she turned her back on him to grab her drink. "Seriously Stefan. Couldn't you have made friends who at least had better pick up lines than these two?" With that Kol burst out laughing. Not only did she have a sharp tongue it looked like his brother was shot down as well. Klaus glared at his brother as Kol came around to sit next to him.

Stefan just sighed and drank his scotch. "I like them feisty." Kol laughed as he made moon eyes at Caroline. "Shut it Kol." Klaus grouched. He was finally getting some headway with Caroline and Kol had to come in and ruin it.

Kol ignored Klaus and smiled at Caroline. "So tell me darling, what is a tasty treat like you running with these two goons when you can be with me instead?"

Caroline sighed as she finished her drink in one gulp and slid off the stool looking at Stefan. "Ok I am going. Next time we hang out can you please leave your Romeo friends at home." She pressed a light kiss against his cheek. Stefan smirked and nodded his head. With that Caroline turned to face Klaus and Kol.

"Leaving so soon, sweetheart?" Klaus asked as Kol tilted his head to present her his cheek as if he was waiting for her to kiss him as well.

"Yes. And it has _not_ been a pleasure meeting the both of you." Caroline said as she turned away making her way out of the pub, Kol's laughter following her out.

She was half way down the street when Klaus caught up with her. Caroline jumped as he was suddenly next to her, her hand lifting to calm her racing heart. "Damn it, you scared me."

Klaus smiled at her as he reached up to tuck a stray curl behind her ear, at which his hand was batted away. "No need to end the night so soon, sweetheart."

"Seriously? Do you never give up?" Caroline rolled her eyes and continued to walk to the nearest train station. Klaus kept pace with her, hands in his pockets as he stared at her.

"Come on, love. Give me a chance. Let me at least take you out on a date." Klaus begged.

"No and no." Caroline ground out as she shot him a glare.

"I will take you anywhere you want to go." Klaus lifted his arm, motioning to the city. "All of London at your fingertips. And who better to show you but a native." He grinned at her and she just shook her head.

"Look you and your sexy accent can leave me alone." Caroline bit out and then face palmed as she realized what she just said.

"You think my accent is sexy do you?" Klaus was grinning now, from ear to ear. Caroline shook her head and just kept moving forward.

"The important thing to take away from that statement is the leave me alone part."

"Are you just arguing with me so you can listen to me talk?" Klaus wiggled his eyebrows at her as she scoffed. "Come now, love. Just one date." He held out a finger, emphasizing his point.

"Gah! Fine! I will go on a date with you if it means you stop trying to follow me home." Caroline threw her hands up and turned to face him. Reaching over she pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and punched in her number. Klaus smiling at the unexpected feeling of her hand near a certain piece of anatomy. Shoving his phone back into his hand she shot him another glare before turning around and leaving.

Klaus smiled with glee as he watched her go. "See you soon, Caroline." He called after her, to which she just ignored him and kept walking.

With another smile Klaus returned to the pub, excited to rub his victory in Stefan's and Kol's faces.


	2. The Date

**Thank you for all the lovely reviews. I am putty in your hands. Please excuse the grammar, spelling and editorial mistakes. I do not have a beta.**

XxX

"Oh my God Kat. This is such a bad idea. What am I even doing?" Caroline sighed into the phone as she dragged her fingers through her blond curls.

"_It's just a date Caroline. Besides I don't know why you are so opposed to just having a fling with him. And from what you told me he sounds ridiculously hot. I would ride it like I stole it if I was in your shoes." _

"Kat! You are disgusting. And the reason why I don't have flings is because I get too emotionally invested in sex. The one time I had a fling I ended up going all Single White Female on him. I am too neurotic for that shit." Caroline shook her head as she stood in front of her closet trying to decide what to wear for her date with Klaus.

"_Whatever." _

Caroline could almost hear Katherine roll her eyes. "Anyway, I need to find the perfect outfit for tonight. Not too sexy because I don't want to give him the impression that he might get lucky, but still sexy enough to make him drool. Does that even make sense?"

"_No. Where is he taking you?"_

"I think we are going to dinner and then out for drinks." Caroline tilted her head as she pulled out a pretty blue dress only to push it back into her overflowing closet.

"_The backless dress with your blue jimmy's."_

"You are a God damn genius Kat. " Caroline almost shrieked as she started pushing the clothes back in an effort to locate the dress.

"_I know. … and I still think you should fuck that Nik guy." _

"No and no. AND no."

"_Suit yourself. Anyway, have a good date. Although without sex it isn't going to be that good of a date. And you better call me and tell me every damn detail. Do you understand?"_

"Yes Kat."

"_Ok good. Talk to you later."_

"Bye, and thanks again for the help."

"_No prob." _

Caroline smiled as she set her cell phone down. How she managed to end up best friends with Katherine Pierce was beyond her. You would think that two bitchy drama queens would repel each other, yet somehow they managed to become the best of friends.

After about 10 minutes of searching Caroline finally managed to find the dress she was looking for. It was a sleek little black dress that was a halter top style, and left her back completely bare. Kat was totally right, this dress was going to be perfect. Laying the dress down she dropped to her knees and started digging around for her shoes. The closet was so tiny that she basically had to stuff everything in it for it to fit. She was a fashion correspondent for God sakes! She should have a walk in. Oh woe is life of a single girl in an expensive city.

"Ah ha!" Caroline shouted as she found her royal blue strappy Jimmy Choo sandals. She stared at them reverently for a moment before hugging them to her body. She forgot how much she loved these damned shoes.

It only took two hours for Caroline to get ready, which was possibly a new record for her. Her hair finally decided to cooperate and actually curled and stayed that way. The backless dress was going to be a Nik killer, the black fabric hugging her slender figure and falling just mid thigh. Short enough to make it interesting and long enough to keep it classy. The stilettos giving the impression that her legs went on for miles. She glanced in the mirror once more, her fingers touching around her eyes cleaning up smokey eye look she had going. It was so freaking hard to keep the smokey eye from looking like she had been punched in the face. With a final dab of some lip gloss she gave herself a smile.

Oh yes, she was going to enjoy shutting him down looking like this. With that the door bell rang, her blue eyes flicking up at the clock. 8 on the dot, he was punctual. She would give him that. _Ok Caroline, let's do this. It's just a date. _She mentally repeated to herself as she moved across the flat to stop by the door. Taking a deep breath she opened the door and smiled. Klaus stood on the other side with a bouquet of flowers in hand.

"Hi" She chirped. A smirk pulled at her lips as she saw the smile fall from his lips as his jaw dropped. His blue green eyes slowly raking over her body.

Blood hell, he could already feel himself getting hard as he took in every single inch of that delectable body. She was glorious and tonight she would be on his arm and hopefully he would end up in her bed, and once he was in her bed he was going to have her six ways from Sunday.

While he was busy picking his jaw up off the floor Caroline took a moment to look him over. He was dressed in gray slacks, a dark blue button up open at the collar with a dark gray blazer. The way his shirt hugged his chest was enough to make her blush. His cheeks had that sexy stubble that her hands were just itching to touch.

Finally coming to his senses he caught her ogling him and smirked. "You look lovely this evening, sweetheart." That panty dropping accent of his pulling her back to the moment and she was pretty sure her face was completely red having been caught doing the exact same thing he had done to her. Handing her the roses, making sure that his fingers brushed hers as he leaned in to kiss her cheek, his stubble rough against her soft skin, his woodsy scent filling her senses.

"Thank you." Caroline murmured as she graced him with another one of her smiles before turning to place the flowers in water. She was not about to let him know that his innocent little kiss had stopped her heart and then sent it racing for its life. She couldn't help the grin that split across her face as she listened to his breathing stop as he caught sight of the back of her dress. Payback was a bitch.

The six ways from Sunday idea was back into his head once he saw all that beautiful skin exposed. He would just love to kiss and lick every bloody inch of her skin that was on display before him. Then he would remove that poor excuse of a dress to expose more of that delight full skin. He wanted to push her against that table and take her right there. Bend her over and …..the thought was interrupted by the star of his erotic fantasies herself suddenly standing right next to him, her keys and a small purple clutch in her hand.

"Ready to go?"

Oh he was ready to go alright, but refrained from making the innuendo given her tendency to call him out as a pervert, so Klaus just smiled and nodded as he went back through the door and waited for her to close and lock it. Being ever the gentleman he slid his hand along her lower back to escort her through the building. It was even softer than it looked and he smiled when he heard her breathing hitch at his touch. And that was why he was going to take every damn opportunity to touch her back, a little payback for wearing something so damn provocative.

Caroline almost stopped breathing the moment he felt his hand slide against her bare back. She almost wanted to say something, but this was a "date". She couldn't very well tell him not to touch her. Although she wanted like hell to tell him to back off, his hand felt like he was branding her skin. His hand was rough and callused, and oh god was it felt incredible. What she wouldn't give to feel his hands all over her body. No, no, no, no, no! No it would not feel incredible! Pull it together Caroline! Jesus Christ on Crutches how was wearing a backless dress even remotely a good idea? She was going to kill Kat for this.

Her thoughts were pulled away from the mayhem she was about to make of her best friends life when she caught sight of a man in a dark suit holding the back door of a black Range Rover open. Her brows shot up in surprised as she glanced at Klaus and then back to the car. "You have a driver?"

Klaus gave her a wolfish smile as he helped her into the SUV. "I do own my own company, sweetheart."

"Impressive." She smiled as he slid in beside her.

Klaus gasped and covered his heart with his hand. "I must be hallucinating. Caroline actually has something nice to say about me!? Has hell frozen over?" Caroline laughed and playfully pushed his shoulder rolling her eyes.

"Do you really think so low of me, love?" She quipped in her best impression of his British accent.

Klaus laughed at her impression. It was adorable truth be told. "You did make quite the impression, _love_."

Now it was Caroline's turn to gasp and clutch her heart. "My reputation as America's sweetheart is in tatters! How will I ever go on?!" At that point they both burst out laughing. In that moment Klaus could not help but be enchanted with the lovely blonde at his side. The way her whole face lit up when she laughed was absolutely breathtaking.

They arrived at the restaurant soon enough. It was nice without being pretentious. Sliding his hand along her back once more, they followed the Maitre D to a table next to the window. Klaus could not help but touch her again, the bare skin of her back teasing him. Plus he was still making her pay for the delightful display of her body. Speaking of display, Klaus caught the hungry stares that a few of the men in the restaurant were sending her way and he pulled her a little closer a feeling of possessiveness coming over him, which was odd in itself, Klaus never felt possessive over a woman.

After helping her into her seat, he sat down himself and pursued the wine list that the Maitre D had left with them. "Any preference for wine, sweetheart?" Caroline smiled and shook her head.

"No. Most of the wine I drink tends to be on sale or in a box. So I leave it up to your _distinguished pallet_." She teased playfully and Klaus could only smirk at her confession. Once the waiter had been over and their orders taken and the wine delivered they finally had a chance to talk again.

"So Stefan introduced you to me as Klaus and yet you ask me to call you Nik. How are those names even remotely related?" Caroline asked as she played with her fork, flipping it over and over as she gazed at the handsome man before her.

"My given name is Niklaus. My mother is a Professor of history and her specialty is the medieval era. So it is not a shock she would give her children names that reflect that time." Klaus said as he took a tentative sip of his wine.

"Niklaus. I like it." Caroline smiled, enjoying how the name tasted against her lips. "So you mentioned children so I can safely assume you have siblings. What are their names?"

Klaus was pretty sure he had never like his given name so much as he did when it fell from her lips. Shaking himself from his thoughts he answered her question with a look of endearment across his face that she had yet to see. "Kol you already met. I have two older brothers: Elijah and Finn. A little sister named Rebekah and a little brother named Henrik."

"Good God! You're actually related to Kol?! Although it's not surprising given the horrible lines you were trying to sling. FYI – you need new ones." Caroline gave a nod of approval at her dispersal of wisdom as she took a hardy drink of her wine. Wow, that was delicious. She almost wanted to say something, yet she held back. His ego was already huge enough. Why add to it.

Klaus just shook his head and laughed at her outburst. Caroline was absolutely something else. Just when he felt he had a handle on her, she would up and change on him again.

"Anyway, you were not kidding when you said your mother loved old names. Plus you have a huge family. I always wanted a brother or sister. Unfortunately I ended up an only child." Caroline sighed with envy.

"And why is that, love?" Caroline paused as she considered her words. "My father finally came out of the closet and left my mother to be with his one true love Steven. "

Klaus blinked, a stunned expression marring his features as he took in her confession. "I'm….. sorry?" He wasn't sure how he was supposed to react to this news.

Caroline smiled as she reached over and took his hand in hers giving it a gentle squeeze. "It's ok. Steven makes my father happy and he is like a second father to me." Her face softening as she thought of her two fathers. It made Klaus's heart clench at the thought of having not only one but two fathers that loved their child. His thoughts flirting to that dark place that Mikael had created. Before he could go further down that path he was pulled back by the little circles that Caroline was drawing on his hand with her thumb. It startled him truth be told. No one really touched him for the pure sake of soothing him.

Dinner arrived soon enough and Klaus felt a bit disappointed as Caroline's hand left his. They made idle chit chat as they ate, commenting on the food, even going so far as to try each other's dishes. Once the meal was over and the bill paid they were back in the Range Rover heading back to the bar where they first met.

"You really like this bar huh?" Caroline murmured as she looked out the window taking in the London night life that seemed to burst forth just outside her window.

"It's called a pub, love and I own it." Caroline laughed at that confession.

"Well don't you own quite the diversified portfolio." Klaus just shrugged as he helped her out of the car and into the pub. Again his hand went to her back and again he pulled her close to his side. She was his for tonight and he dared anyone inside or outside of that pub for that matter to challenge him.

Once they got inside they headed towards the bar where Klaus glowered at a few men to give up their seats and assisted Caroline in taking their place. It wasn't a big shock that he was able to make people leave with just a look. The patrons who frequented the pub knew who he was, who he really was that is. A few demonstrations of his brutality was enough for word to spread. The only one who didn't know was the sexy little blonde that sat next to him. Which probably explained her sass, yet he was pretty sure even if she did know who he really was, she would still be just as impudent.

A nod at the bar tender was enough for the working man to place a scotch and a rum and coke before them. "I don't know if I should be scared or impressed." Caroline smiled as she picked up her drink and took a large gulp. After the wine she was pretty much on her way to hammered and the addition of the hard liquor didn't help. Maybe her whole plan of drinking more to starve off her attraction to Nik wasn't exactly the best idea. The whole plan seemed to have the adverse effect.

"I would prefer impressed." Klaus smirked at the tipsy blonde next to him. They sat at the bar for about an hour, talking about everything and nothing. Klaus taking every opportunity to touch her, whether it be tucking her blonde curls behind her ear or stroking the curve of her spine as he leaned in to murmur into her ear. He could tell Caroline was not unaffected by his small touches with her cheeks blushing a lovely pink and not to mention the appearance of goose bumps at the site he had just teased with his hands.

It was after her second drink that Caroline finally gave into the need that had been gnawing at her moment she met him. He was busy telling some story about Kol before he came to a sudden halt as she reached up to cupped his face in her hands. Fingers reverently stroking the stubble across his cheeks as her head tilted slightly, a waterfall of blonde curls sliding over her shoulders as if to better observe her ministrations. Blue eyes dark with want a she followed the movements of her fingers, utterly entranced with the feeling of his face under her fingertips.

Klaus could swear his heart stopped in that moment when she touched his face. He had always been the one to touch her, save for that moment in the restaurant, yet that was nothing sexual, just something meant to soothe. Finally Klaus had some indication that she was not immune to him as she pretended to be.

With that small revelation he gathered her up in his arms he kissed her. Something he had been longing to do since he first saw her in that red sun dress. He could taste the sweetness of her drink on her mouth. Just like her skin her lips were softer than he imagined. It was only a matter of moments before her lips parted for him, her tongue sliding against his as he explored her mouth. He pulled her against his him, as much as the bar stool would allow, her soft curves fitting perfectly against the hard planes of his body.

Klaus took the opportunity to ravish her mouth. His teeth nipping gently against her bottom lip and then dragging his tongue across it almost soothingly. He almost smiled as he felt Caroline vie for control of the kiss, her tongue flicking across his own, exploring the soft recesses of his mouth.

It took a few more kisses before Caroline finally came to her senses. She pushed away from him, gasping for breath. She did NOT just have a hot make out session with Nik in the middle of a bar. "I need to go home." She whispered against his lips as he leaned in to kiss her once more, even though she had pushed him away she could not help but touch him once again. One hand lifting to cup his face eager to feel that stubble once more as her other hand curved along the back of his neck teasing the skin lightly with her nails. This was a testament that she was obviously drunk as shit and out of her God damn mind. And being said drunk, she would not deny herself touching him once more.

Klaus was only too happy to comply with her request. His mind already cataloging the things he planned to do to her once he got her in to bed. Pulling himself off the stool he held out his hand to her and assisted her to her feet. He smiled as he saw her wobble on her heels. His sweet Caroline was a bit of a light weight when it came to drinking so it seemed.

Pulling her against his side they left the pub and made their way back to the waiting SUV. Once inside he couldn't help but pull the lovely blonde into his lap and kissed her once more, his rough hands taking the opportunity to explore every inch of skin that was on display before him and even the skin that was not as he inched his hands up her dress. Her own hands buried themselves into his hair, dragging her fingers through his curls again and again, unable to get enough. His kisses were downright intoxicating and every place his hands touched set her skin on fire. She could finally appreciate Adel's lyrics about setting fire to the rain because that was damn sure what he was doing to her.

Pulling away from her lips Klaus tilted her head back slightly to attack the graceful curve of her neck. Small kisses pressed against the bronzed skin before nipping her with his teeth just at her pulse point. Caroline pretty much stopped breathing at that point, letting her head fall back to give him better access to the delicate skin of her neck, her tugging at his shirt to loosen a few of his buttons, just enough to allow her hand to slide against his smooth chest.

Klaus flicked his tongue along her collar bone, following the line with his mouth to her shoulder, his teeth sinking into to the soft flesh. Caroline gasped, arching against him before she pulled his head up for another searing kiss.

It was the halt of the SUV that brought Caroline out of her lust induced haze and she realized they were stopped in front of her flat. Gasping for breath she broke the kiss and untangled herself from his arms, pushing the door open and stepped outside, the cool air bring her back to her original objective. Klaus was a bit confused as the blonde was suddenly missing from his arms, but quickly realized where they were and he moved to step out with her but was stopped by her hand, a smirk crossing her lips as she gazed down at him. "Not happening Romeo."

And with that she turned away from him and strode into the building. Klaus watched her at a loss of what to do. He had never been shut down like that before. He watched helplessly at the sweet curves of her hips as she swayed away from him. He was going to need a very cold shower. Maybe even two. "Home." He said almost absently, as he fell back into his seat and shut the door.


	3. Terms

**I don't own VD**

**A/N: Ok – after some thought (and urging from all of you) I think I am going to turn this into a full on story. I have never done anything like this before so there are probably going to be some bumps along the way. There will be some tweaks here and there as well. The first chapter will be moved once the story gets to the place where it is supposed to be. **

**Feedback is always welcome. **

**Any ideas for a title? **

**Once again please excuse any editorial, spelling and grammar mistakes. **

**Thank you again for your lovely reviews.**

XxX

"The plan was to shut him down Kat. Not drunk make out with him and then shut him down! Oh God, I'm such a tease." Caroline cried mournfully into her cell phone as she paced around her flat.

"_I think it was the dress that gave the impression that you are a tease. Now if you would have slept with him then you would be a tease AND a slut."_

"If that's your twisted way of telling me to look on the bright side it sucks." Caroline frowned.

"_Take a chill pill Caroline."_

"I will NOT take a chill pill Kat! Don't you see why this is bad? He knows I like him. I made the first move. I kissed him back when he kissed me. And I not only kissed him back I mauled him with my hands."

"_It's so obvious that you need to get laid."_

"That's what I am trying to avoid Kat."

"_Well then get a vibrator. Maybe it will help you chill out."_

"Katherine Pierce you did not just say that!" Caroline shouted into the phone mortified at her best friend's suggestion. She could hear Katherine laughing as Caroline covered her eyes with her hand as if to hide from the inappropriateness of Katherine's suggestion.

"_Like I said before: fuck him and get over it." _

"Well it is obvious you are not helping or listening. Good bye Kat." Caroline ground out as she listened to Katherine laugh once more into the phone.

"_Bye"_

* * *

"Oh God Caroline! I don't want to know this." Stefan said as his face fell into his folded arms that rested on the counter.

"You are my best friend forever Stefan. You will hear every single detail of my date with Nik even if it kills you!" Caroline almost shouted as she smacked his shoulder.

Stefan just groaned and stayed silent. "As I was saying…. Oh my God he is an incredible kisser. I am pretty sure I would have given it to him right there for his kisses alone." Caroline breathed as she thought about her hot make out session with Klaus.

"I thought the whole point was to not sleep with him." Stefan pointed out as he lifted his head to look over at her.

"That is the point!" Stefan only looked more confused.

"Just because I don't want to sleep with him doesn't mean I don't want to sleep with him." Caroline shared as she tapped her half empty rum and coke on the counter of the bar that she had come to meet Stefan for a whole debrief of her date with Klaus.

"I'm not sure I understand."

"I want to sleep with him. God how I want to sleep with him, but Nik does not do relationships. I can't sleep with him knowing he is just going to leave once he gets what he wants. Do you not remember when I went total stalker on my one night stand in college? I cannot have that happen again. There shall be no one and done with me." Caroline declared resolutely as she drowned her drink.

"Why are you not telling this to Kat? Why does it have to be me?" Stefan asked as he accepted the scotch from the bar tender.

"I already told Kat and she just told me to fuck him and get over it." Caroline said with a sour look on her face.

Stefan thought about it for a moment and then nodded his head in agreement. "Well, she may have a point."

"No! She does not have a point! There will be no getting over it! God, do you and Kat even listen to me? If I am going to fuck someone, they are sure as hell going to be there for round two, three and four!" At this declaration she saw Stefan's face turn bright red and the bar tender almost drop the bottle of rum he was using to mix her drink.

"I volunteer darling." Kol drawled as he sauntered over to the bar and took a seat next to the ravishing blonde. Even dressed simply in a pair of jeans, a gray t-shirt and yellow flats she still looked delectable.

Caroline turned to glare at the handsome younger brother before returning her attention to the drink that the bar tender laid before her. "Somehow I don't think you are the relationship type Kol."

"I could be for you, Caroline." Kol gave her his best earnest face as he lifted one of her hands to rest above his heart. Before Caroline could answer Kol started swearing and lifting her arm up further for inspection of the huge swath of dark purple bruises that marred the bottom of her forearm. "What the bloody hell happened to you?"

Caroline just rolled her eyes as he took her other arm to inspect it as well. "I was drunk and tripped and ate shit." Thank GOD she had done that in the building rather than out front. It would kind of destroy the whole shutting Klaus down kill shot. Kol just shook his head as he dropped her arms.

"Jesus, darling. How much did you have to drink?"

Caroline sighed. "I drank enough to make out with that womanizer brother of yours."

Kol leaned forward into her personal space, a huge grin on his face. "And how much do you need to drink before you make out with me?" Wiggling his eye brows at her as he gleefully watched her take another sip of her drink.

"There isn't enough liquor in the world for me to make out with you Kol."Caroline quipped and pushed his face away with her hand. Ignoring Kol's heartbroken look she turned her attention back to Stefan who had been watching the exchange with amusement.

"As I was saying, I can't sleep with him. I like him and if he slept with me and left I would end up going all Basic Instinct on him. But, oh my God! Can you imagine if I did? I bet he would be amazing in bed. And oh sweet baby Jesus the mouth on him. Can you just imagine what he could do just with his mouth?" Stefan was chugged his drink at that point while Kol was busy trying to slip away unnoticed, not really keen to listen to a woman fantasize about his older brother.

While Caroline was distracted watching Kol leave Stefan took the opportunity to slip away as well. Caroline turned to remark on Kol leaving and gasped as she saw the chair next to her was empty, her eyes lifting to watch her BFF make his getaway. "Hey! Get your cute ass back in that chair! I'm not done yet!"

"As you wish, sweetheart." Caroline groaned as she recognized the voice. He was absolutely the last person she needed to see right now. Pushing her drink away as that is what lead her into trouble in the first place she turned to face him.

Klaus smirked as he slid onto the bar stool, looking ridiculously hot in a dark blue Henley and equally dark jeans. She could even see a peek a few necklaces he was wearing in the opening of his shirt. God, could this man get any hotter?

"I didn't mean you." Caroline grouched as she tucked a curl nervously behind her ear. Before she could grouch at him some more her arm was suddenly in his hands, gently twisted to expose the bruises of her arm, his fingers sliding lightly across her skin as if to sooth away her pain. Contrary to his actions his voice rough with a promise of pain.

"Who did this to you Caroline? Tell me who did this and I will personally rip their heart out and shove it down their throats." Klaus growled softly.

Caroline smiled at his reaction. Even if he was only trying to get into her pants at least this showed that he cared about her, at least a little bit. She lifted her other arm to touch his cheek but that was quickly confiscated by him just as the other had been to inspect the damage.

Caroline sighed as she let him examine her. "I fell."

Klaus glanced up at her, shooting her a look that said he did not believe her. Besides isn't that what all abused women said? That they fell? "Don't lie to me, love. I swear to you that whoever did this to you will never touch you again."

Caroline rolled her eyes as she tried to pull her arms away, yet Klaus kept them in his lap with a firm grip. "I'm sure Captain Morgan will be quaking in his boots when he hears you are coming for him."

Klaus finally looked up from her arms, a confused look on his handsome face. "Do you even realize how drunk I was last night? Drunk enough to kiss you but not drunk enough to sleep with you. A very fine line and walking fell to the side of drunk enough to trip over my own feet."

"You really fell?" Klaus kept a careful watch on Caroline's face as she answered him, looking for any clue that she was lying to him. Caroline was finally able to pull one of her arms free and cupped his face with her hand, her thumb gently stroking the stubble of his cheek.

"I did. I am a bit of a klutz when I drink that much."

Klaus gave her a tentative nod before he turned his face into her hand and pressed a soft kiss against the palm of her hand. It was such an intimate gesture that for once Caroline was at a loss for words. However it did shore up her resolve not to sleep with him. He was going to break her heart given the chance.

With a small smile she pulled her hand away from his face and turned to her drink and took a huge gulp. Yeah, she was going to stay away from the sauce but after that moment she wasn't sure how she could even function around him without trying to jump his bones. Caroline needed the liquid courage.

Switching gears Klaus shook off the anger that had gripped him only moments ago. He was surprised at his own reaction. Yes, he would put down any man who would hit a woman, yet the rage he felt at the thought of Caroline being subject to such abuse was on a whole other level. He shook off the voice in his head that wanted to know what the hell that meant and in turn gave Caroline his lady killer smile.

"So, love. When do I pick you up for our second date?" Klaus taking the opportunity to capture one of her hands in his, his thumb drawing so lazy circles on the palm of her hand.

"There is no second date. You are a playboy and a philander. You had your one chance and that was it. I do relationships. Not playboys." Caroline stated resolutely as she pulled her hand from his grasp with a prayer that it was dark enough in the bar to keep him from seeing the blush that stained her cheeks that was brought about by his touch.

"No need to be mean, love." Klaus replied as he lifted his hand to brush back a few stray curls from her face. He couldn't help it. He wanted to touch her every opportunity he could take. Caroline brushed back his hand and narrowed her gaze at him.

"Are you telling me you are not a playboy and philander?"

There was a guilty silence from Klaus at that point. Caroline nodded and turned in her chair to leave only to be caught by his hand on her arm. "Tell me how to acquit myself."

"You want to acquit yourself? Then date me. Full on straight up committed relationship. There is no one for me but you and there is no one for you but me. And when I finally feel like you have committed to us, that you have some skin in the game, only then will l give myself to you."

And there it was. Exactly what Caroline wanted of Klaus. She wanted him as not just her lover but as a boyfriend as well.

Klaus was quiet as he mulled over the terms Caroline had laid onto the table. With that said Caroline downed the rest of her drink and stood up and with a deep breath she curled her fingers around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. Klaus was startled by the bold move yet was quick to recover, his hands sliding to her hips as he deepened the kiss. Caroline's tongue flicking playfully against his own as he explored her mouth.

Caroline was a glorious kisser. There was more passion in her kiss than he had felt with anyone one woman after a single night of sex. He could only imagine what she would be like in bed. His hands slid under her shirt, touching the soft skin of her back that had been so delightfully on display the night before, the rough feel of his hands causing Caroline to moan softly against his lips. Caroline's fingers threading through his sandy curls and tugging his head back as she broke the kiss, ending it as quickly as it had started. Caroline gave him a small chaste kiss before whispering against his lips.

"Think about it."

And with that she pulled herself out of his arms, giving him a small smile before she turned and walked away from him, leaving a frustrated Klaus in her wake.


	4. The Answer

**Disclamer: I do not own TVD**

**Thank you all again for your feedback – very much appreciated. **

XXX

Two weeks. Two weeks had passed since Caroline had lain her terms onto the table. Two weeks of silence from Klaus. In those two weeks Caroline attended yoga, fashion shows, high tea, walking tours of London and anything she could possibly think of to jam pack her schedule. It was an obvious effort to keep Caroline from making herself a neurotic mess over a guy she had only known for a few days.

It was funny how that worked. She and Tyler had known each other for years before they developed enough of a connection to start dating. And even then, it never felt like enough. Klaus was an instant attraction. Yes she was determined to ignore it at first. He was a lady killer. His pick up lines said as much, yet Caroline had been so at ease with him. As if she had known him for years rather than a few hours.

And that was really the crux of her offer. She felt such a connection with him. He was handsome, smart, funny, had good taste in wine and clothes. God that list sounded just like a dating profile. To make the list sound a little less cheesy she added horrible at pick up lines and perverted. With those two inclusions she didn't feel that he was quite so perfect.

Womanizer by Britney Spears and Diet Mountain Dew by Lana Del Rey was on constant replay in her flat. As much as Caroline wanted to convince herself that he was totally wrong for her, she couldn't help but think that they could work so well together given the chance. Caroline wanted him and he knew he wanted her, but Caroline was only willing to be with him on her terms and she was damned if she would have him any other way.

Caroline made sure to stay away from the bar that he owned. Stefan would oblige her by meeting her at different bars and coffee shops around the city. Stefan made sure to never mention Klaus. He could tell Caroline was bothered by even the passing mention of his name which was a bit hard considering he worked for the man.

Even Kat was cautious about talking about Klaus which was a miracle in itself. Apparently the wild minx that was Caroline's friend knew enough that Caroline was trying desperately to keep it together and Kat wasn't about to have it all fall apart because she couldn't keep her mouth shut.

Normally she would be talking Stefan's and Kat's ear off about the potential possibility of a relationship, but this was a whole different ballgame. Normally boy meets girl. Girl likes boy. Boy likes girl. Girl and boy date. No this was girl meets womanizing man whore who does not do relationships. Girl offers relationship to womanizing man whore who again, does not do relationships.

Caroline wouldn't blame him if he said no. She made her offer fully conscious of his philandering ways. This was why she wouldn't let herself obsess with his silence. There was a high probably of him saying no and she would accept it and move on. And if he happened to say no she would be that much more thankful that she didn't sleep with him.

By week three she took his silence as his answer: No. She would be lying to herself if she said that she didn't care. She cared enough to throw herself a little pity party in her flat with ice cream, romance movies and tequila. She didn't want to go down the path of how she wasn't worth it for him to change his ways. She would not and could not think about that.

Towards the end of that third week her girlfriends at the magazine invited her to go out with them which Caroline gratefully accepted as it would be a nice distraction for her.

Caroline was going to go out and break hearts. Sure it was a little shallow of her to make herself feel better by dressing like a sexy minx to flirt with boys and then shut them down. After her little whatever you would call it with Klaus a girl had to do what a girl had to do to put her ego back in its place.

The purple and gray bandage dress that molded itself to her body was meant to kill on contact, the sleek fabric of the dress clinging to her curves and at the same time showcasing her legs and breasts, black strappy stilettos completing the sex kitten look. She was going to freeze (a willing sacrifice all in the name of looking hot) given it was already October in London. The strange Indian summer that had been a total fluke for the region had long since gone away leaving rain and dreariness in its wake.

With a last dab of lip gloss and a quick fluff of her curls she pulled on her coat and left to meet the girls. She was going to get drunk and enjoy this night for what it was worth. Caroline was going to shove every thought of Klaus out of her mind and just drink and dance. It was at times like these that Caroline was almost certain that Lady Gaga was her generations Dali Lama.

Caroline met the girls at a bar that was for all intensive purposes dead. Caroline was pretty sure there was maybe one other person at the bar other than the girls and that was the bar tender. So the girls got their coats and headed out the door on the hunt for a more lively bar and suddenly Caroline found herself in front of the bar that Klaus owned.

"Ummm, maybe we can go to another bar." Caroline suggested as she shifted from side to side in her heels looking at the front of the bar with apprehension.

"Oh come on, luv. It's the only pub that has any action in it that is close to the club." Amy argued as she pulled her coat closer to her body.

"And it's only 9 o'clock. No one will be at the club yet and there is no way we are going to be the first ones there, Caroline." Eliza's brows shooting up as she gave Caroline a knowing look, their friend Olivia nodded in confirmation. Caroline gnawed on her bottom lip as she looked between her the girls and the bar, torn between wanting to tell them about Klaus so they could find someplace else and not wanting to give him enough importance that would sway a decision to go into his bar.

The girls smiled as Caroline gave in to their request with a slight nod and followed the trio inside._ You can do this, Caroline. It was just a flirtation and a date. It was just a little bit of fun. Besides, he may not even be here tonight. _Caroline gave a slight nod at her pep talk as they walked through the door. Pulling off their jackets they made their way through the crowd towards the bar where they somehow managed to find an open spot for them to squeeze in. They caught more than their fair share of hungry stares, each girl had made it their mission to pull out every stop tonight; short sexy dresses, fuck me heels and shampoo commercial worthy hair.

The bar tendered attended them immediately, much to the dismay of rest of the patrons who had been patiently waiting their turn. Most of the patrons reasoning the girls got served first was because the women were gorgeous, but then again there were other equally lovely ladies that the bar tender had made no preferential treatment towards. The bar tender was already setting down a rum and coke in front of Caroline and giving her a wink before Caroline even had a chance to set down her clutch. Before she could say anything he had already turned to the other girls to take their order. Apparently having been seen kissing the owner twice had some perks Caroline thought with weary amusement as she took a large swallow of her drink.

Actually the real reason the bar tender helped them so quickly was because of the hilarious effect Caroline had on Klaus. Klaus was always in a bit of a state when she was around which never happened, let alone the completely distracted manner Klaus had been in for the past three weeks which the bar tender had found endlessly amusing. To see the famous Niklaus Mikaelson come undone by a woman was something to take note of. So when he saw Caroline at the bar, he paid her the compliment of making sure she and her friends were taken care of.

Caroline blushed as the three girls gave her a knowing look. "What's your name, handsome?" Olivia called out to the bar tender. "George." He said giving Olivia a wink. All three girls turning to the blonde once they had the name asked Caroline point blank if she had shagged 'George' as they too had noticed how quickly they had been served and that Caroline hadn't even needed to ask for her drink. Caroline just rolled her eyes and mentioned something about knowing the owner. The girls all sagged at that news, hoping for a juicy bit of gossip to rile up Caroline with. Caroline was thankful that they didn't immediately jump into just how well she knew the owner to warrant this kind of service.

After their third round of drinks the girls became separated. Eliza and Amy were currently cornered by Kol who had thankfully had not noticed Caroline. Olivia was busy flirting with George between his drink orders. Apparently she really did think him handsome. Caroline smirked as she leaned back against the bar twisting to glance furtively around the bar. When she first came in she resolutely kept her eyes in front and did her best not to look around her. Apparently the plan was if she couldn't see him he couldn't see her. Too bad that sort of thinking only worked for monsters that lived under the bed and the endless protection of a comforter over the head.

Yet with each drink she would become a little bit braver and risk a quick glance around the bar. Each time her search came up empty she was not sure if she should feel relieved or disappointed. It was after her fourth quick glance around that she suddenly found a man by her side. Caroline stepped back in surprise as he leaned against the bar and gave what she assumed what he thought was a smoldering look when in reality it just made him look constipated.

"If you were looking for someone lass, you have now found him." The man said with a Scottish accent. A few snickers drew her gaze to the men gathered around the table looking like a pack of hyenas as they watched their friend go to bat with the beautiful blond. Caroline rolled her eyes and turned away slightly hoping he would take the hint.

"I'm Alan. And what might be your name, lovely?" He slurred a bit as he openly looked her over, making Caroline's skin crawl.

"Not interested." Caroline replied flatly as she took another sip of her drink. God this guy was a douche nozzle.

"Come now Miss Not Interested. Let me at least buy you a drink." Alan said as he leaned into her. Caroline was ready to push him away when she felt a warm hand slide against the small of her back. Great, just what she needed, another ass hat to deal with. Right as she was about to move away the voice of the man who held her froze Caroline in her place.

"You're standing awfully close to my girl, mate." Klaus growled as he pulled Caroline against his side. Alan turned to face the man who was moving in on his turf. After all he was talking to the bird first, his voice reflecting his annoyance at being interrupted.

"She isn't..." Alan almost choked as he came face to face with Klaus, the Scotsmen's face losing all color as he stood gaping at the man before him.

Klaus gave him a hard smirk, his eye brows lifting as he asked with an almost casual air. "She isn't what?"

Alan swallowed hard and tried to answer without wetting himself. "Sh sh she isn't interesssted." And then realizing how badly that sounded he quickly amended. "She isn't interested in me." Klaus gave a nod of approval and leaned in menacingly.

"And don't you forget it, mate."

Alan nodded hard enough that you would think his head was going to fall off his neck as he scrambled back to his friends, all of them looking as if they had just avoided the gallows.

Caroline watched the whole exchange with confusion. Alan had been terrified of Klaus, like really truly terrified. Sure Klaus was a good sized man, but it wasn't like he was a body builder. It made no sense. Plus even if they knew Klaus was the bar owner, they still shouldn't be that scared. The worse he could do was to have his bouncers rough them up a little and throw them out. Right?

Caroline pushed those thoughts away for later; she had bigger fish to fry. Twisting out Klaus's arms she whirled around to face him, a finger going to poke his toned chest, her bright eyes flashing. "What the hell did you mean _your girl_?" Caroline said, ignoring the heated look he gave her and focused solely on her anger.

"That you're my girl, sweetheart." Klaus said simply enough.

"No, that is not what that means, Nik!" Caroline snapped. "Three weeks. THREE WEEKS of radio silence from you and then you just waltz over here and tell some stranger that I'm your girl when you can't even tell _me _that I am your girl. That is so not cool, and if you think that you can get away with a stunt like that you are sorely mis-." Klaus chose to silence Caroline at that moment by pulling her into his arms and covering her mouth with his own with a scorching kiss.

His lips moved slowly against her own, teasing, taunting her until she would part her lips for him. A soft moan was shared between them as she parted her lips for him and his tongue slid into her mouth. He could never get over how sweet she tasted when she had been drinking. His rough hands slid along the creamy flesh of her arms, fingers curling around her elbows to pull her softness against his own hard body.

He kissed her just a moment longer before Caroline came to her God damn right mind and bit into his lip hard, causing him to pull away from her, the lovely blonde shooting him such a glare that if looks could kill he would indeed be dead. Klaus growled at her with sexual frustration and anger, he was so turned on by her fierce nature and at the same time angry at her audacity.

Taking her hand he dragged Caroline through the crowd to the back of the pub towards the offices that were closed off from the public. Opening one of the doors he threw her inside and then stalked inside himself slamming the door closed behind him.

Caroline stumbled inside and then turned to face Klaus, standing her ground resolutely. She would not let this heart breaker intimidate her. "As I was saying before you so rudely interrupted me. … if you think I am just going to excuse your behavior these past three weeks you are sorely mistaken. I waited for an answer. For three weeks I waited for your answer. You should have at least had the decency to tell me yes or no to my face. Not to answer me with some caveman stunt you pulled out there." Caroline growled.

Caroline had every right to be angry. Klaus had spent the past three weeks vacillating between wanting to agree to her terms to turning her down flat out. He couldn't make a choice. He was angry that he even had to make a choice. He didn't date women. Even the ones he slept with, most of them he picked them up at the pub and took them home the same night. He didn't need to date. How many times had he held his phone in his hand, his thumb resting just above Caroline's number to call her and tell her no only to slam the phone onto the table? He couldn't bring himself to shut the door on that chance to be with Caroline.

Klaus was obsessed with the idea of dating Caroline truth be told, to be able to pull her into his arms for a kiss whenever he wanted. He enjoyed his time spent with her. She was so light and bright and everything he wasn't. The thought of Caroline giving herself to him willingly pulled at him. Klaus wanted to sacrifice his pride and do as she asked for the chance to have Caroline in his bed. Yet his pride had other ideas. Again he would find his phone in his hand only to throw it aside unable to call her to tell her that he agreed to her terms.

Everyone knew something was up with Klaus. He was distracted, irritated and angry. A few of his men made a joke about _that time of the month_ and were rewarded with black eyes and split lips. The jokes died down quickly after that.

He refused to say yes or no, so he stayed in this limbo that dragged on day after day until the night she walked into his bar looking like one of those deadly sirens that lead sailors happily to their deaths. Her long blonde curls tumbled and bounced across her slender shoulders like a waterfall of sunshine. The tight purple and gray dress leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination and answering every single question his dark fantasies about her had brought to mind. She was absolutely stunning.

He was amused as he watched her cast quick glances around the bar. Caroline's delectable little body becoming tense as she would gather her courage and look around the room again and again. He knew she was looking for him and Klaus was perfectly content to watch her all night. It was only when Klaus saw one of the patrons of the pub approach her that he started to feel his blood boil. The tosser actually thought he stood a chance with his Caroline. Klaus could tell from her body language that she was not only uninterested but also uncomfortable. Before he even knew what he was doing, Klaus had gotten up from his table and was moving to her side. He hated the thought of some bloke trying to get with Caroline. He wanted her and he was done trying to fight it.

The whole event having led Klaus to this very moment; Caroline spitting fire at him and demanding to know why he acted as he did. So he opted for sharing his thoughts in hopes that it would appease her.

"I know I should have, but I couldn't stand to see another man touch you." Klaus growled. This whole conversation left him restless, his fingers clenching into fists as he moved to start pacing around the room, unable to stand in place any longer.

Blue eyes unable to resist flicking over him as he moved back and forth across the room like a restless wolf. She couldn't help but appreciate the way his muscles moved under his dark gray long sleeve v neck which show cased his collection of necklaces. And let's not forget the pair of dark pants that did unspeakable things to his amazing ass. Did he run? Because an ass like that… _no Caroline! Pay attention. You are pissed off remember? Do NOT get distracted by the gorgeous man with an amazing ass_.

"So you were jealous? That's it?" An incredulous look crossing Caroline's beautiful face at the confession that Klaus would suddenly agree to her terms just because he was jealous.

"Yes! No! I don't know, Caroline!" Klaus growled as he continued to pace from one side of the room to the other, unable to face the beautiful siren that stood before him. "All I know is that I couldn't stand the thought of anyone else at your side other than me." Klaus said quietly, his confession almost shameful to his own ears. "I fancy you."

And suddenly Caroline was in his arms, her mouth attacking his with a ferocity that left him breathless. Her slender arms curled around his neck, fingers sliding into his sandy curls tugging his head back to an angle that would allow her better access to his mouth. Klaus groaned against her lips and the moment his lips parted she slid her tongue into his mouth deepening the kiss at once. Klaus flattened his hands along the sides of her hips and slid his hands up along her sides until he was able to tease the sides of her breasts with his thumb making Caroline hum delightedly against his mouth.

Caroline broke the kiss to pull his bottom lip into her mouth, nibbling on it gently as if to make up for her cruel treatment from earlier. One of her hands fell from the back of his neck to slide against his chest, her fingers wandering the necklaces at his throat, something she had wanted to do since she first saw him wearing them three weeks ago.

Pulling away from the kiss she smiled up at Klaus almost shyly as he lifted a hand to brush back the curls away from her face. "I like you too." Caroline's smile turning into a grin as Klaus dimples made an appearance at her confession.

"Does this mean I get a second date, sweetheart?" Klaus asked with a smirk as he pulled her a little closer, dropping his head to nuzzle the soft curve of her neck, the feeling of his stubble against her skin making her shiver.

"Yes, but you have some groveling to do first." Caroline chided as she pulled away from him watching as Klaus dropped his head, lifting his lashes to give her his best puppy dog look. Caroline just smiled and shook her head as she would not be undone by that look.

"Groveling." Caroline pointed her finger at him to emphasize her point and with that Caroline turned to walk out the door and back to her girls unable to keep the huge smile off her face.


	5. Grovel

**I don't own TVD**

**A/N: Thank you for all the reviews. I think all of you are right. There is no way they are lasting six months. So I will probably shorten it to three to four months. **

XxX

The groveling first came in the form of flowers delivered every day and sometimes even twice a day to her little flat. Vases filled with flowers of every type and every combination that a florist could possibly think of. Caroline would smile each time she would get a delivery. The flowers were not only beautiful and smelled heavenly but it also made her happy to see that Klaus was taking the job of making things up to her very seriously. Eventually Caroline had to text him to stop sending her flowers because she was running out of places to put them and her neighbor across the way was starting to sneeze every time Caroline opened her front door from the sheer amount of pollen that her flat seemed to expel.

After the flowers came the food; little boxes of candy, a small basket of chocolate covered strawberries and little delicatessens. The delightful treats that were delivered to her daily direct from all over Europe – macaroons from France, chocolate from Germany and even tiramisu from Italy. After about a week of stuffing her face and gaining five pounds - Caroline started to give the delicious treats away, not really willing to spend two hours a day on the treadmill just so she could continue to fit into her clothes.

Apparently Klaus got wind of her not enjoying the gifts to the fullest and switched tactics and instead of food or flowers - little gifts started to arrive. A movie she had wanted to buy, a little pendent she had had her eye on and other little random things that he somehow knew she wanted. Each day something new would arrive and it would drive her nuts trying to figure out how the hell he knew she would even like something like that. Every. Single. Gift. was absolutely perfect. She would wrack her brain on how he could know her so well. There was no way he could. She knew his source wasn't Stefan, after all he wouldn't know what kind of shoes she loved and Caroline was pretty sure that Klaus didn't have Kat's number.

Caroline shook her head as she accepted the delivery of another gift, opening it up to find a movie inside. How the hell did he even know she wanted this movie? Hell she just put it on her Amazon wish list yesterday…... "That crafty sneaky British bastard!" Caroline screeched into the empty flat. Of course! Her freaking wish lists! Everything that he had given her had been placed on a wish list at some point or another now that she thought about it. Caroline was pretty sure she had a wish list with all her favorite websites. Her wish lists must have been like a freaking gold mine to him. It was genius. Pure genius and all Caroline could do was laugh and shake her head.

The gifts and flowers were too easy for Caroline to count as groveling. She appreciated the effort but she wasn't just going let him off the hook that easy, not a chance in hell. She needed to come up with something horrendous, something that would truly make him feel the groveling. It took her about 20 minutes of brain storming to finally come up with something that was really going to make him work for her forgiveness. Picking up her cell phone she dialed Klaus's number as an evil smirked touched her lips as she thought of the torture she was about to inflict.

"_Hello, sweetheart. To what do I owe the pleasure of your call?"_

"You are taking me out." Caroline said sweetly into the phone.

"_Excellent, love. I know of -"_

"Ah ah ah. You didn't let me finish." Caroline interrupted. "You are taking me out …to every single tourist trap that London has to offer." An evil grin plastered on Caroline's beautiful face as she allotted out his punishment for his treatment of her and enjoying the accompanying groan of despair at her verdict. This was probably what Jabba the Hutt felt like when he told Han Solo he was going to freeze him in carbonate. (What? She's seen Star Wars. Bonnie and Jeremy had forced her to watch it God knows how many times. It was her punishment for being friends with nerds.)

"_Come now Caroline. You can't be serious."_

Caroline was almost giddy with how unhappy he was with these turn of events. After all what do natives hate more than anything? Tourists. And what did they hate more than anything by association? Tourist traps. And now Klaus who was a London native was going to be forced to endure both. Caroline almost cackled she was so happy with her evil plan.

"I'm as serious as a heart attack. Three weeks Nik." Caroline reminded him trying to keep the glee out of her voice.

"_And I am truly and deeply sorry for that, sweetheart. And to make it up to you how about I show you the other side of London that few ever see?"_

"Maybe later. For now you are taking me to those tourist traps and you are going to be happy about it because you are still groveling. This is you groveling" Caroline smirked as she listened to Klaus sigh of resignation.

"_When do I pick you up?" _

"Thursday at 8 a.m." Caroline said as she pulled open her laptop and started searching for said tourist traps.

"_Do we have to start so early, love?"_

"Yes Nik. We have lots and lots of things to do." Caroline smiled at the utter hopelessness in his voice.

"_See you Thursday, love."_

"Don't forget to bring your camera and fanny pack." Caroline said with a laugh as Klaus just scoffed and hung up the phone.

* * *

Caroline came out the door of her building like a flaming ball of sunshine. All curls and smiles as she made her way over to Klaus who stood waiting patiently next to the open back door of his black range rover. He was dressed simply in dark jeans and a black military style jacket with worn boots. His hair a mess of curls that looked like the pillow had had its way with him. Dark aviators covering his eyes from the bright morning sunshine that was gracing London, which was a fluke in itself and Caroline took to be a lucky sign that her plan would be perfectly executed today. Caroline herself had chosen to go with skinny jeans and some trainers with a red peacoat for their outing, seeing as they were going to be doing a lot of walking today.

A chipper "Good Morning" was thrown at Klaus as Caroline stood on tip toe to give his stubbled cheek a quick peck. Klaus grouched a rough "Morning." back. Stuffing his hands into his coat pockets as he looked down at the blonde angel turned demon as of 7:30 a.m. this morning when he had to drag his ass out of bed to come pick her up to take her out on a day of hellish delights.

Oooh someone was grumpy! And from the sallow look of his skin could he possibly be….dare she hope….? Caroline grinned as she lifted his sunglasses up to confirm her initial assumption. Blood shot eyes along with heavy bags underneath suggesting a night of heavy drinking and little sleep. Dropping his glasses back onto his nose she made a tut tut noise as she climbed into the back seat. Klaus followed soon after closing the door behind him, settling into the seat as he watched her dig into her coat pocket and hand the driver a list of places and addresses.

"Start with number two first." Caroline said as she leaned back into the seat to turn her attention to her escort for the day, a shit eating grin on her face as she gloried in his discomfort.

"Have a little too much fun at the bar last night did we?" Caroline hoped that he enjoyed that 'royal we' dig as much as she did.

"Could you not talk so loud, sweetheart?" Klaus groaned, his head falling back against the leather head rest as he closed his eyes, obviously in too much pain to catch any sort of dig thrown at him. Bloody Hell what was he thinking last night? Marcel shows back up in town and Klaus had somehow thought it was a good idea to spend most of the night and well into the early morning drinking and catching up knowing full well he had an early morning wakeup call with Caroline who was on a singular mission to see him on his knees. Obviously he was a bloody idiot.

That was all the answer she needed. Caroline only wants to cackle at this point. Not only was she going to subject a native of a city to the worst kind of torture she was going to do it while he was hung over as shit. With the way things were progressing she could totally see herself as an evil Disney villain. Cruella DeCaroline. She was _this_ close from tapping her fingers together like Mr. Burns and saying _excellent._

As much as Caroline wanted talk loudly or even tap a beat onto the window just to increase his level of discomfort during the short trip to their destination she could not bring herself to do so. He looked so miserable and yes while their first destination was diabolical – she found she could not bring herself to be_ that _mean. So Caroline stayed quiet for the rest of the ride, she was even sucker enough to run her fingers through his sandy curls to straighten out his hair a bit and even going to far as to cup his face in her hand to gently massage his temple with her thumb. At the feel of Caroline's hand against his face, Klaus sighed and leaned into it, taking pleasure in the fact that it was his Caroline who was tending to him.

The reprieve was short lived as they arrived at their destination and Caroline pulled away from him and hopped out the back door. Evil plan back in place as she watched with unadulterated glee as Klaus stepped out the SUV and glanced around only to come to a standstill as his head fell back to take in the London Eye. She was trying to kill him, absolutely trying to bloody kill him. A hang over from hell and she brings him to the London Eye. She was even more devious than he was. Well maybe not quite as devious given what he allowed Kol to do with his baseball bat, but still it was pretty damn close.

The look on his face alone was almost enough to make her feel like his pound of flesh had been paid, but she was Cruella DeCaroline and she had a whole day of torture to inflict before she would be satisfied, that was if he managed to survive this one that is.

With a smile that would blind astronauts, Caroline took his hand, interlacing his fingers with her own, and dragged Klaus to the line that waited for the eye. There was already a press of humanity this early in the morning. There was never a down time for tourism in London. She was a magnificent queen of a city that drew the world's imagination and in turn drew tourist in droves

How was this happening? How did the King of the London underworld end up at the London Eye at 8:30 a.m. in the morning at the command of a wisp of a girl? Klaus looked down at the blonde demon before him and knew exactly why he was there. She was bubbly, light and beautiful and he would give anything just to in her good graces once more. With a heavy sigh he let go of her hand to gather her up in his arms and pull her back against his chest, his chin resting on her shoulder as he breathed in her fresh scent of sunshine and lavender.

Klaus smiled as he felt her sigh into him, her body melting back against his as her hands came up to curl around the his hands that held her against him. They stayed like that for the 30 minute wait to get to the front, quiet and content in each other's company.

When they did get to the front Klaus became apprehensive - as hangover, heights and moving platforms were generally not a good mix. Caroline gave the attendant their tickets and they stepped inside the pod along with the other tourists, Klaus trailing behind slowly. Caroline's evil plan however was pushed to the way side as she became caught up in the breathtaking view before her, all of London at her feet and on a beautiful day at that, showcasing the city's grace and beauty.

The higher they rose the sicker Klaus got. A few of the tourists that shared the pod with them made sure to keep away from the handsome man who looked a little green around the edges. Klaus leaned heavily against the wall of the pod with his eyes closed trying to strengthen his resolve not puke and not strangle Caroline when this was over. Caroline, so blown away by the view, had forgotten Klaus was not well and assumed he was at her side sharing in the amazing view of the city. She turned around with a question on her lips only to find him not at her side but at the back of the pod with his chin resting against his chest taking short shallow breaths.

Ok, maybe this part of the plan was just a little too evil. She could tell that he wasn't just hung over but that he was feeling terribly sick and she hated it. Taking pity on him she made her way over to him while pulling a water bottle out of her messenger bag. Twisting open the bottle and tucking the cap into her pocket she lifted his wrist and pressed the bottle of water into his hand.

"Drink it. It will make you feel better." Caroline said quietly, her hand lifting to smooth the creases of his furrowed brow. Looking at him so miserable broke her heart but she would not feel guilty. He was the one that did this to himself. There was no part in her plan for him to get drunk the night before their little 'tourist trap tour across London' to make things that much worse. Klaus took the water gratefully, taking small enough sips to help settle his rolling stomach. He still kept his eyes firmly closed convinced that the moving scenery would make him loose the contents of his stomach which was still pretty much whisky. Once the bottle was empty Caroline quickly tucked it back into her bag.

And this is why Caroline could never be a true evil villain, she just had too much heart. Pushing up his sunglasses to rest against the top of his head she cradled his face in her hands and gently massaged his temples. Caroline's slender body leaned against his own to give his hands something to anchor to against the gentle movement of the pod. She could feel him relax against her, some of the green receding from his skin tone.

Once they were back on solid ground Klaus was looking and feeling 10 times better which made Caroline's heart a little lighter. After all she still had a whole day of tourist trap torture to inflict and she didn't want to feel terrible about it. Hung over was fine. Sick as a dog not so much.

At Caroline's insistence they stopped at a little breakfast place afterwards, Caroline forcing a greasy breakfast down Klaus's throat (a cure for sick stomach caused by too much drinking) as well as some pepto (the British version of it anyway) and coffee. Once Caroline was satisfied that Klaus wasn't going to keel over from his hangover she resumed her evil torture Klaus grovel plan. Although she did end up crossing taking the ferry down the Thames off her list because she didn't think her would be boyfriend would make it in one piece despite the greasy breakfast she had fed him. She was still able to hit the big items on her list - the Tower of London, London Bridge, Big Ben, Windsor Castle and other big name spots around town.

Klaus managed to hold himself together through each stop. The breakfast he reluctantly admitted having been the turning point from him having to cry uncle and going home to actually manning up and performing his groveling duties as requested. As much as he hated going to the tourist traps, he did enjoy his time spent with Caroline. He loved how animated her face became as she explored the rich history of his city. The smiles she would shoot his way as she reveled in little unknown facts that Klaus could not help but share with her. Even though the places they visited were at so called tourist traps, they were still great historical monuments of London and that any pleasure he felt in visiting them were systematically ruined by the tourists that seemed to infest the places like vermin.

Caroline knew Klaus was enjoying their tour of London. She would catch these looks on Klaus's face that practically screamed his love of history no matter how hard he tried to maintain a passive façade. Even though she had intended this as a punishment she was almost just as pleased at the fact that he enjoyed it and he hated that he was enjoying it.

Klaus took every opportunity to touch her during their shared outing, whether it just be holding her hand or tucking her against his side as they explored each destination, even going so far that he would find himself stroking her golden curls as they waited in line after line in an effort to ease his boredom and impatience. Caroline herself was not opposed to his touch, making sure she was never far from his side in hopes that he would pull her against him once more or have his fingers interlace with her own. She herself taking quiet moments to run her fingers through his soft curls or run the back of her hand lightly against his stubbled cheek. Although Klaus hated all the tourists he really didn't mind the places they visited. He also had to admit he had a nice time (except for first part of it) with Caroline exploring his city's rich history.

They didn't get to everything on her list, but it was enough for Caroline to forgive him. Her guilty pleasure of having watched him suffer throughout their excursion through London with a hangover (despite her efforts to ease his discomfort as much as she could) was enough to feel like he had served his penance.

It was dark by the time they made it back to her place, Caroline turning down his offer of taking her out to dinner as she already had plans with a friend. His hand slid along the curve of her lower back as he escorted her into the building and to the front door of her flat. A small smile played on Caroline's lips as they came to a stop and turned to face him.

"I officially forgive you. You may now stop groveling, however I will still accept any forms of lingering guilt at your behavior in the form of gifts." Carline couldn't help the grin that split across her beautiful face as she informed Klaus of her decision. Klaus just smirked as he tucked a stray curl behind her ear, his fingertips lingering against the skin of her cheek. "Very magnanimous of you, sweetheart."

"Ohh, S.A.T. word!" Klaus gave Caroline a look of confusion at that outburst and she just rolled her eyes and muttered a "Nevermind." Before Caroline could continue Klaus leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. Since she had officially forgiven him, he was free to do as he pleased with her as she was now his. Her hands slowly came up to curl around his neck as he deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding gently across her lips before delving inside once they parted for him. His kisses were hungry and possessive, wanting to consume her as she had consumed his thoughts in the past few months. His hands gently stroked the curve of her spine along the outside of her jacket as he pulled her body a little closer so it fit perfectly into his own.

He consumed her mouth as if he was a thirsty man who had not seen a drop of water in days. Caroline could take only so much before she broke the kiss gasping for breath as her head fell back to discourage any further advances until she could catch her breath. If Klaus could not have her lips then he would taste her skin, his soft lips planting small kisses along the smooth line of her jaw leaving a trail of fire. A soft moan escaped her when his mouth reached her ear, his teeth pulling gently against the lobe of her ear. He explored further down her neck, kissing, nibbling, licking anything that was exposed to him, which was very little given she was still bundled up from the cold.

He listened to her vocal cues, stopping on a particular spot on her neck to tease out the sound of pleasure out of her once more. Caroline's fingers threaded through his hair again and again and when she could stand it no longer she fisted his curls in her hand and dragged his head back up for another searing kiss. This time she was one who dominated, her tongue sliding against his own as she explored his mouth. Her hands falling to the stubble of his cheeks, stroking them lightly with her finger tips before falling lower to curl her fingers against his neck, scratching the skin teasingly with her nails.

A soft clearing of the throat was what finally pulled them apart. Well at least Caroline tried to pull away, Klaus was having none of it as he held her close against his body, his head turning to face the fool that had interrupted them. Amy stood in the corridor facing them trying to hold back a grin at the scene she had stumbled upon. Caroline's cheeks turned bright pink as she struggled out of Klaus's arms, and after some a moment of hesitation, he reluctantly let her go.

"Amy!" Caroline squeaked with embarrassment. At that point Amy didn't even try to hold back her grin.

"Are you going to introduce me to your friend, luv?" Amy said as she flicked her gaze over Klaus with appreciation. Klaus just stood watching Caroline with an amused smirk enjoying how pink her face was at the moment.

"Right!" Caroline chirped. "Amy this is - " and before Caroline could say another word, Klaus decided to introduce himself. "Klaus. Caroline's boyfriend." It was after all what he had agreed to. Amy eyebrows shot up at that statement yet she remained silent as Klaus, who was no longer paying attention to her, turned his attention to focus solely on Caroline as he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against her lips. "See you soon, sweetheart." His blue green eyes staring into her blue ones for a moment, relaying a multitude of promises in regards to their embrace before finally turning around and leaving, giving an absent nod to Amy as he passed her.

Both girls watched him walk out of the building before Amy turned to Caroline and grinned. "Ok, spill." Caroline just laughed and moved forward to take her arm to start their walk to dinner, filling Amy in on everything that was Klaus.

XxX

**Let me know your thoughts on this chapter. Also throw me some ideas on how you would like Caroline to find out about Klaus's less than legal activities. **


	6. Suspicious

**Disclaimer: I don't own TVD**

**A/N: Thank you all once again for the lovely reviews, and follows and favorites! I appreciate all of it so much. A few of you had some questions in regards to the time line so far so here it is:**

**There is about a week or two between when Caroline meets Klaus and their first date. Then there is the three weeks of silence from Klaus when Caroline lays down her terms for a relationship. Then around two weeks' worth of groveling before Caroline exacts her revenge with a hung over Klaus. So far it has been two months between meeting and becoming an official couple.**

XxX

"I hear you put my brother through a day of hell." Kol said casually as he came to sit next to Caroline who sat drinking with Stefan at the bar. Caroline smirked a bit as she gave a slight shrug of her shoulder taking a sip of her drink.

"Nothing he did not deserve." Caroline assured him. "Besides, most of it was self inflicted when he showed up hung over as shit." Kol let out a bark of laughter as he slapped her on the back the action itself a reflection that he was starting to see her more like a friend rather than a light skirt he wanted to chase.

"Well done darling. No woman save my little sister has ever put him through the hell you inflicted upon him on Thursday." Kol declared as he signaled for a round of shots to celebrate Caroline's victory over his womanizing brother. Stefan just shook his head as Caroline gave him a Cheshire grin, pleased with her accomplishment. With the three shots delivered, Kol gave Caroline and Stefan one each before holding up his shot in the air.

"This toast is dedicated to sweet Caroline. Who managed to put my not as good looking as me, brother through a day of torture that I wish that I had been a part of or at least had been there to witness. To Caroline! Cheers!"

Caroline and Stefan yelled "Cheers!" together as they all clinked their glasses together and downed the shots. With a grimace, Caroline chased her shot with her rum and coke as she took a quick glance around the bar to make sure the man in question was not around to take advantage of her inebriated behavior.

"Actually come to think of it there was another _woman_" Kol making air quotes as he said woman. "who gave him a hard time." Kol said as he smirked at his inside joke. Caroline brows lifted with a curious purse of her lips as she tilted her head as if to tell Kol to go on with his story, the statement even managed to peak Stefan's interest with this bit of information.

Kol turned to face the both of them, clearly pleased at not only being the center of attention but to highlight his own cleverness as well. "So I have a friend named Vanessa who is a bit of a transvestite."

"A beautiful one at that, you can't even tell she's a man." Kol pausing to take a sip of his scotch, sneaking a quick glance at his audience to make sure he had their undivided attention. "One night Vanessa decided to come visit me at the pub and we were chit chatting and getting wankered and what not when I notice that Nik was admiring Vanessa's lovely form." Caroline mouth started to drop open in a bit of shock before her lips started pulling into an amused smile as she could already see where this was going.

"And Vanessa always did have a bit of a crush on my brother. So when I noticed Nik checking her out I decided to confess to Vanessa that my brother thought _she _was hot and that he knew all about her if you get my drift." Kol making a vague gesture towards the crotch of his pants, Caroline gasped a "No you didn't!" while Stefan shoulders were shaking with silent laughter. Kol tilted his head forward and to the side, the look confirming that he did indeed say that before continuing on with his story. "Nik was already making his way over so naturally I introduced the both of them. They talked for a bit and then went to play a game of pool. Nik of course was flirting with Vanessa and Vanessa was flirting back, leaning against one another, Nik helping her with her shots and what not."

Caroline and Stefan were helpless with laughter as they listened to Kol's story. Kol himself was grinning like a mad man as he came to the best part of the story. "So Vanessa decided to help him with one of his shot and while she was showing him how to aim the pool stick she decided to push her stick against his ass." Making the gesture towards the crotch of his pants once more.

Caroline and Stefan burst into gales of laughter, holding their stomachs as they imagined just how Klaus reacted to a finding out that the girl he was flirting with was actually a man. "You should have seen his face!" Kol said as he gasped between his laughter.

"And then I came over to strangle you if memory serves." Klaus said as he came up to the small group and placing his hand on Kol's shoulder, giving it a hard enough squeezed to make Kol yelp with pain, Klaus's face reflecting the same anger he had felt that very night at being the butt of one of Kol's jokes. Caroline and Stefan barely registered the fact that he was there as they were still rolling with laughter.

Klaus just glowered at all of them as they slowly pulled themselves together. Caroline brushed away her tears as she looked up at Klaus, finally acknowledged his presence. Noting his dower expression she slid off of her bar stool to cup his face in her hands as she pressed a soft kiss against his lips.

"Don't be so grumpy, Nik. Not everyone is lucky enough to get felt up by a transvestite." Caroline fell back to clutch her stomach as the three of them erupted in laughter once more. Klaus not at all amused by the quip shot a hard glare at Caroline, the look letting her know her joke was very much unappreciated.

Caroline sobered up enough from her laugher to link her arms loosely around his neck. "I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself." Caroline gave him her sweetest smile and made an effort to look chastised. Klaus still had his angry face on, but it did soften a bit at her apology. Leaning down he gave her a few sweet and savory kisses before pulling back.

"As much as I hate to end your enjoyment at my expense, I'm afraid I must take your escorts for this evening, sweetheart. We have some work to do." Klaus said as he gave Stefan and Kol a slight nod, both men moving to their feet, Stefan's face falling serious where Kol just looked gleeful.

"Work? On a Saturday evening?" Caroline's brows furrowing with confusion as she watched Stefan and Kol make their way out the door, their leader still in her arms.

"Yes, sweetheart. Unfortunately so." Klaus sighed as he leaned down to give her a kiss goodbye. "I'll see you soon." And then he was gone, leaving Caroline with George the bar tender as her only companion.

With a slight tilt of her head she turned to face George. "Does that happen often?" George only gave a slight lift of his shoulder that was neither a yes or a no.

* * *

"Caroline, you have to be careful with him." Stefan said as he lay sprawled across her cream sofa, keeping his eyes firmly on the gray walls in front of him as Caroline got ready for her date with Klaus for the night, his eyes flicking over the display of picture frames that dominated the main wall of her little flat.

Caroline stuck her head out of the bathroom to look at her BFF, her golden silky strands currently curled up into hot rollers and mascara wand held in midair. "I am totally aware he is a playboy and a womanizer Stefan."

"Then why are you even trying to date him Caroline? I told you I agreed with Kat about sleeping with him and forgetting him. Dating him is just going to lead you to heartbreak." Stefan glanced behind him to catch Caroline's eyes, trying to impress upon her the seriousness of his warning.

Caroline gave him a sweet smile before she ducked back into the bathroom to resume her primping. "I told him flat out that I wouldn't sleep with him until I thought he was committed to our relationship. He agreed to be in a relationship. HE did. And I can tell when a guy is seriously committed Stefan."

Stefan sighed and as he dropped his head back onto the back of the sofa, crossing his arms as he looked blindly up at the ceiling. "I thought Kat was serious too. And look how that turned out."

Caroline set down her mascara wand and pulling her robe a little tighter around her body as she came out of the bathroom to sit next to Stefan on the sofa, dropping her hand onto his knee to squeeze it gently. Caroline couldn't really say much of anything; in fact she tried to stay out of it. Kat and Stefan were both her best friends and she didn't want to choose a side and somehow both of them managed to respect that choice. "Stefan….."

Stefan lifted his head to give her a weary smile as he lifted his hand to rest on top of hers. "You don't have to say anything Care. All I am saying is that people can be fooled, and I don't want you to get hurt."

Caroline smiled and leaned over to give him a soft kiss against his cheek. "Thank you for always looking out for me. I promise you I will be careful." With that she pulled away from him and made her way back into the bathroom to finish getting ready for her date, leaving Stefan to his worries.

It was a little while later that a knock sounded on her front door. "Can you get that Stef? I'm almost ready." Caroline called out from the bathroom as she shut the door, not wanting Klaus to see her before she put on the finishing touches.

Stefan just shook his head as he pulled himself off the couch to open the front door.

"Stefan?" Klaus said with confusion as his brows pulled together wondering why his enforcer was opening the front door to his girl's flat and then relaxed, remembering that Caroline and Stefan were best friends forever. They always hung out at his pub, why shouldn't they hang out at her place as well?

"Hey, Klaus. Come on in. Caroline is just finishing up." Stefan gave his boss a tight lipped smile as he pulled the door open further to invite him in. Not wanting to make it more awkward then it already was, Stefan walked over to the bathroom and knocked gently. "I am going to take off Care."

The bathroom door opened and Caroline pulled him inside for a quick hug and then pushed him back out and shut the door just as quickly. Stefan laughed and made his way out the front door that was still open. Just as he passed by Klaus he paused to look him in the eye.

"Take care with her." With the warning delivered, he gave Klaus a slight nod and walked out the door, closing it quietly behind him, and before Klaus could contemplate the warning Stefan had given as he walked out the door, the bathroom door opened and his lovely little blue eyed angel made an appearance.

"You are looking ravishing this evening, sweetheart." Klaus smirked as he raked Caroline over with his sea blue eyes. Caroline was indeed a lovely sight, her hair pulled into one of those huge ballerina buns that showcased the graceful curve of her neck and her shoulders, the strapless deep purple dress hugging her slender body leaving enough to the imagination to keep it from looking vulgar, black tights and knee high black suede high heeled boots completing the look.

Caroline smiled at the compliment, taking a moment to look over her date for the evening. Klaus had stuck with his tried and true uniform of dark gray slacks and a dark shirt, this time without the blazer, his dirty blonde curls tamed for the evening, the scruff she found so sexy still gracing his impossible cheekbones.

"Thank you, handsome." Caroline winked as she came forward to press her lips against his own, unable to resist kissing him. Klaus moved to deepen the kiss, but was quickly shut down as Caroline pushed away because she actually wanted to go out on their date. If she allowed him to deepen the kiss they wouldn't leave her flat for another half hour and miss their reservation. With a smile she moved to take her long black jacket off of the coat rack that stood next to the door and pulled it on. November in London showed no mercy for those who were not dressed appropriately. A small smile touched her lips as Klaus curled a dark blue cashmere scarf around her neck.

"Thanks." She breathed softly as he pulled her close to tuck the ends into the front of her jacket. If Caroline was not careful she was going to end up completely smitten with him.

"Where is your jacket?" Caroline murmured softly as she pulled away from him, her hands lifting to smooth the front of his dress shirt against his chest. Klaus smirked as he pulled her back against him, his mouth gazing the curve of her cheek before whispering softly into her ear.

"Why do I need a jacket, when I have you to keep me warm?"

Caroline snorted, the moment broken as she pulled away from him, her head tilting to the side as if to say _seriously_? "Are you this cheesy on your own? Or does Kol help you with these horrific lines?" Klaus just chuckled as he stroked her cheek with the tips of his fingers.

"You know you love it."

"Oh yeah, it just makes me soooooo hot and bothered." Caroline said as she shimmied her shoulders back and forth gave him her best smoldering look. Klaus laughed again and pulled open the front door to stand in the hallway, pushing his hands into his pockets as he waited for her to grab her clutch and keys and lock the front door. Once she was done, Caroline looped her arm through his and they made their way out of the building to his waiting SUV.

The ride to the restaurant was quiet, Caroline absorbed with the view out the window and Stefan's warning, Klaus's thoughts running along the same lines as Caroline's, Stefan apparently having quite the impact on the handsome couple.

The agenda for their date was dinner and then dancing, the later being one of Caroline's favorite things to do. Caroline smiled as Klaus escorted her into the restaurant, her azure eyes resting on the couples that were twirling on the dance floor, enjoying the view so much she almost wanted to skip dinner and go straight to dancing. The added incentive to go straight to dancing was that Caroline had yet to see Klaus dance and was curious to see if he could even keep a beat.

Klaus helped her with taking her jacket and scarf off. His warm hands ghosting against the bare skin of her shoulders for a moment, sending a shiver up her spine. A smirk confirmed that Klaus had caught the response and Caroline could do nothing but blush. As he came around to sit across from her, she shifted her gaze to focus on the dancing couples once again.

Klaus followed her gaze, a small smile on his lips as he lifted her hand that rested on the table and pressed a small kiss into the palm of her hand, the sweet gesture pulling Caroline's eyes from the couples to the handsome man before her.

"Shall we dance, love?" Caroline flashed him a grin and gave a quick nod of her head, loving the fact that he was willing to shake things up a bit.

Her hand still clasped in his he pulled her out of the chair and lead her onto the dance floor, lifting his arm to spin her around once before pulling her into his arms. Caroline's hands caressing his cheeks for a moment as she slid them to rest around his neck, fingertips playing gently with his hair. Klaus smiled down at the lovely woman in his arms as he led her around the room. After a few silent turns around the dance floor Klaus leaned forward to mummer against the shell of her ear.

"You know, you are quite the dancer."

Caroline grinned as she leaned back a bit in his arms to better look at him. "Well I happened to have had training."

Klaus arched his eye brows at that bit of knowledge."Indeed?"

Caroline mimicked his look as well as his accent. "Indeed." She answered with a confident nod of her head making Klaus chuckle.

"You currently have the honor of dancing with the former Miss Mystic Falls." Caroline said with a smug look on her beautiful face, although the grin that was pulling at her lips was threatening to destroy said smug look.

"Miss Mystic Falls, hmm? Then I am humbled that not only have you allowed me to dance with you but how kind it is of you to share your grace and skill with us commoners on the dance floor this evening." Klaus mocked with a teasing smile, pulling away from her to spin her around once more before pulling her back into his arms. Caroline laughed as she leaned against him, her head tilting to the side as she pressed a quick kiss against his lips.

"You're welcome. It's not every day this happens ya know."

Before Klaus could respond, his pocket started ringing. Caroline gave him a curious frown as he led her off of the dance floor, pulling his phone out of his pocket to check the caller id. His face going from annoyed to concerned as he pressed a kiss against her check before moving away from her.

"Apologies, love. I need to pick this up." And with that he was moving off into one of the hallways with his phone to his ear, leaving Caroline alone. With a soft sigh she slowly started to make her way back to their table to wait for him to return.

Klaus was back at her side before she even managed to sit down, eliciting a small gasp from Caroline as her hand went to her heart. "You scared me!"

Klaus gave her a small smirk before his face took on a more serious look. "I'm afraid I am going to have to cut our date short, sweetheart. I'm needed at the office, some pressing things have come up that require my attention." Caroline lifted her brows as she sighed dejectedly. "I know love. I am as unhappy about it as you are." Klaus said as he ran his hands up and down her arms as if trying to ease her disappointment.

"And none of your other brothers can take care of it?" Caroline asked, chewing on her bottom lip as Klaus moved to collect her jacket and scarf.

"Afraid not, sweetheart. But I promise to make it up to you." Caroline gave him a slight nod as she slipped her arms into the jacket he was holding open for her and then slipped the scarf around her neck.

Taking her hand in his he escorted her out front where two black Range Rovers were waiting. Klaus opened the back door of the first one and helped her inside. "Glenn is going to take you home." Klaus said as he ducked his head into the car to give her a quick kiss, unable to help himself as he gently nibbled on her bottom lip.

Caroline sighed into the kiss, but it was over as quickly as it started, her hand lifting to stroke his cheek, enjoying the feel of his stubble against her hand. "Call me later." Klaus nodded his head at her request and gave her one of his lady killer smiles causing those adorable dimples making an appearance. Caroline loved those dimples so much she could not resist poking her finger into one of them.

"Goodnight, love." And with that he shut the door and the SUV was moving to take her home leaving Caroline to contemplate what could be so serious at 9 p.m. on a Friday night that would Klaus away from their date.

* * *

"I don't know Kat…..something is just odd about their whole business thing they have going on."

"_What do you mean by odd?"_

"Well Nik and I have been official for like a month now ever since I forgave him for being a dick it just seems like every few dates he suddenly has to go take care of things for work in the middle of one of our dates. He gets a phone call and before I know it I am getting a kiss goodbye and he is out the door. I mean do owners of companies do that? And all of this is happening during the evenings and weekends. Doesn't business usually take place during the work day?" Caroline sighed as she paced the perimeter of her apartment, her royal blue velvet track suit hugging her slender figure as she hugged her cell phone between her cheek and shoulder, struggling to put her hair into a messy bun.

"_Does it look like I know what the fuck a CEO's hours are? Or how to run a company?"_

"Bitch!" Caroline growled as she glared out the window, her fingers curling at the thought of yanking Katherine's chestnut curls out.

"_Think about it Caroline. Do you even know what CEO's do or what their hours are? Do you know how the running of a company works or the demands that it makes?"_

Caroline chewed on her bottom lip as she paused and considered Kat's questions before replying with a reluctant "No."

"_Exactly. It isn't like he is playing Clark Kent to your Lois Lane to go save the city as Superman."_

"Wait a minute. You've watched Superman?"

"_Are you kidding? Brandon Routh is so fucking hot as Superman. I would rip that suit off of him and –"_

"Stop! Point made and I totally do not need that visual."

"_You asked." _

"I did and I regret it. Anyway, can we please get back to the point?" Caroline said forcefully as she wandered over to her laptop and opened Netflix absently to start searching for the Superman movie with Brandon Routh because let's face it; he was fucking hot and Caroline could only imagine just how much hotter he could be in a skin tight suit.

"_As I was saying…it isn't like he has a secret identity Caroline. He runs a company and he is a busy man. And obviously he is fucking good at it because he can afford his own fucking driver. Making money like that - it's no wonder that his work life bleeds into his personal life."_

Caroline gave a slight nod of her head in agreement to the argument that was laid before her. It made sense. Still, something just didn't feel right and it gnawed at her. "You're right. I know you are right but…still….. it just …what about Alan? I mean the man was terrified of Nik when he told him to back off from trying to hit on me."

"_He was probably scared that Nik was going to have his bouncers kick his ass."_

"But you didn't see how scared he was. It was like – "

"_Caroline! Stop being a neurotic bitch for once. You are trying to make this into something that it is not and you'll end up fucking things up."_

"Ok! Ok! Ok! I'll back off." Caroline yelled as she threw up one of her hands in surrender.

"_Thank you."_

Caroline paused for a moment, letting the silence stretch out between them before she asked quietly "You don't think he has like a secret wife do you?"

"_CAROLINE!"_

"Right…..right….. he wouldn't be taking Stefan or Kol with him if it was that, unless they are like part of some kind of creepy Big Love relationship thing."

At that thought Caroline could hear Katherine fall into laughter tinged with disbelief. Caroline knew she had crossed the line for allowing her neurotic tendencies cloud her perception of things.

"_Caroline…"_

"I know. I know. You should come and visit soon. You are the only one who stops my crazy card from being stamped."

"_I will come and visit soon. I promise, although it might be a little awkward with Stefan there."_

"Well, I'm not the one who slept with both him and Damon."

"_Bitch!"_

"Hey! Just calling it like I see it."

Caroline could almost hear Katherine roll her eyes at that.

"_Whatever…anyway just remember to back off the crazy with Nik and you should be fine. I'll check my schedule to see when I can come and visit. I expect a ride in this Range Rover you keep talking about."_

Caroline grinned at that request. "I promise I will back off the crazy and make sure you ride in style when you come to visit."

"_Love ya bitch."_

"Love you too Kat."


	7. Truth

**a/n – Thank you all for the great feedback. Your support is greatly appreciated. Again please excuse any errors I am a lone wolf on this story. **

XxX

"Nik, those are not comfy clothes." Caroline huffed, one hand holding open the front door, the other gesturing to his dark jeans and hunter green long sleeve t-shirt before gesturing to her herself, as Caroline was dressed in dark blue sweatpants, a white tank top with a green cardigan that hung loosely from her shoulders. "This is comfy clothes."

Klaus just flashed her smirk as he strolled into her flat. "Love, my _comfy clothes _are comprised of a pair of boxers and not much else. I don't think you would have appreciated me showing up dressed as such. Or perhaps maybe you would have." Klaus grinned as he wiggled his eyebrows at her – it was such a Kol thing to say. Or maybe it was Kol who picked up his habit to make inappropriate comments from Klaus rather than the other way around.

Caroline just rolled her eyes at the last remark, choosing to ignore it. "Well then perhaps I should be grateful that you are so considerate. Although I do know you have sweats, Stefan tells me you work out with him all the time." Caroline grumped as she shut the door and locked it. Tonight was going to be a low key date, no fancy restaurants, exclusive clubs or museums, just the two of them with takeout food and Netflix.

"Caroline, I am not going to be seen wandering the city in sweats." Klaus growled as he kicked his shoes off and made his way over to the couch, setting the bottle of wine he brought with him onto the table before falling into the couch with a soft humph.

"I can't tell who's prissier, you or me, although right now I am leaning towards you being the prissier one of the two of us." Caroline ducking the pillow he threw at her, a huge grin on her face at his reaction to her quip. God he was behaving like a child, Klaus thought to himself, but for some reason he always felt so relaxed and carefree with Caroline and it wasn't a bad thing. She seemed to bring out the fun childish side of him that he had forgotten existed, it was nice not having to be the big bad wolf all the time.

Caroline picked up the pillow and tossed it back onto the couch, moving to sit down next to him, watching him open the wine bottle and filling the wine glasses that sat on the table before she opened the containers of Indian food that sat on the coffee table in front of them. "Kat is coming to visit in a few weeks. She wants a ride in your Range Rover." Caroline said as she flashed Klaus a smile before taking a huge bite of her curry chicken.

Klaus just shook his head and as he leaned back into the couch, holding a white container and a fork, lazily mixing the contents as he gazed at her. "Is that your subtle way of asking to barrow my SUV, love?"

"And driver. I don't have a license to drive here. Plus you nerds all drive on the wrong side of the road and not to mention the steering wheel is on the wrong side of the car." Caroline's nose wrinkling at the thought which Klaus found absolutely adorable.

"So because we don't drive how you yanks do, we are all nerds?" His eye brows lifting as he tilted his head forward waiting for her answer.

"Yes. Sorry I have to be the first one to break it to you." She pressed her lips together in a sympathetic smile, her hand reaching out to caress his stubbled cheek as if to soften the blow. Klaus turned his head at the feel of her fingers and playfully nipped at them, forcing Caroline to jerk her hand back as she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Shouldn't you _not_ insult the person you are asking a favor from, sweetheart?" Klaus asked with a small smirk pulling at his lips as he lifted his fingers to tuck a stray curl behind her ear.

"It's not an insult if it's the truth." Caroline said, giving a nod at that and took another bite of her food which just caused Klaus to grin at her cheek.

"Well who can argue against that? What is mine is yours, love. Just let me know when." Klaus said as he set down his now empty container of food and moved to pick up another one giving it a curious glance before diving in.

"Really?" Caroline asked, her azure eyes so lovely and wide as her eye brows went up with a look of surprised pleasure.

"Yes, love." Klaus smiled, feeling his heart constrict a bit and finding it so odd that he really enjoyed making her happy when he should be focusing on seducing her. That was the game plan all along, he would play boyfriend to her and try and seduce her every chance he got. And once he got her into bed, he would drop the boyfriend act and go on his merry way. Yet whenever he was with her he tended to forget the game plan. Instead he was just with her, enjoying himself to the fullest. Yes, he wanted to sleep with her, but he also just liked doing things with her, talking to her, spending time with her and it didn't matter that spending time with her didn't involve a bed.

Klaus would tell himself that he liked the chase, the challenge that was Caroline. That was the _only_ reason he was even doing this. Not because he liked her or the fact that he actually started caring about her. He had to wonder about the caring part, though. Klaus didn't care for anything other than family and caring about anything else was a weakness. So course he didn't _really_ care about her, at least that is what he told himself.

He was pulled out of his reverie as Caroline leaned over to plant a small kiss against his lips, her blue eyes bright as she met his gaze. "Thank you! You are the best, even if you are a nerd." Caroline teased as she leaned back to go back to her food.

"Kat is going to be so stoked about the Range Rover. I am so excited she is coming! I miss her so much. Although it is going to be a little awkward with Stefan, but I will try and keep them apart as much as possible. I totally hate they are like this. Maybe they can get past it one day and we can all be cool again." Caroline sighed as she looked over the various containers on the table before snagging a fork full of rice.

Klaus just shook his head as he listened to Caroline ramble, he loved it, he really did. Did he just say he loved it? No, not love. He liked it. Yes, like. Not loved. Shaking himself out of that line of thought he tilted his head back bringing the glass of wine to his lips and taking a sip before speaking. "So what happened between your friend and my en-" Klaus pausing to cough trying to cover up the fact that he almost said enforcer. "and my best mate Stefan?"

Caroline paused from eating to give him an odd look before answering his question. "Kat and Stefan used to date a while ago and Stefan was madly in love with her, like romance novel in love…. And I thought Kat was in love with him too." A sigh left Caroline's lips as a look of sadness crossed her face as she became lost in the memories of happier times.

"And then Kat started become really distant with Stefan and just started acting weird whenever they were together - then one day she just broke up with him out of the blue. Stefan was shocked to say the least and it left him absolutely heartbroken." Caroline sighed again as she took a small bite of her food before looking up at Klaus who was watching her with interest. "The worst part of it was that Kat left Stefan to be with his brother Damon. And as you can imagine things just went to hell from there." Caroline said with a slight lift of her shoulder.

"What happened?" Klaus asked quietly, slightly stunned at the news about his enforcers past.

"Well, Stefan and Damon got into a fist fight that ended with Stefan leaving town and going to Chicago." Caroline answered as she fiddled with her fork, her whole demeanor becoming somber.

"Chicago. Where Stefan met me." Klaus murmured quietly to himself, her story filling in some of the blanks that Klaus had always wondered about Stefan. They had met at some hole in the wall bar in Chicago that catered to a clientele that tended to enjoy not so legal forms of entertainment. They had met and immediately became fast friends, spending their time getting drunk, fucking women and kicking the shit out of people that had so much as looked at them the wrong way. Klaus often thought of those times as some of the best times in his life. Klaus appreciated the violence that Stefan possessed so much that he offered him a job as his enforcer.

"I had never seen him that angry before. Ever. It was like he just went off the rails completely. He was drinking so much…. It took a long time before he would even start to return my phone calls. I don't even think he remembered most of them when we first started talking he was so hammered. I did what I could to help him though it, gave him as much support as I could and with time he slowly got better. He isn't drinking as much anymore. He seems like he is becoming his old self again now." Caroline smiled quietly; genuinely happy that her best friend was coming back to be the man he was before his breakup with Kat.

Klaus gave a slight nod, lost in his thoughts as he processed the information. Stefan back to who he was…. it would explain why Stefan was not as motivated or as passionate about his job as an enforcer as he used to be and he was starting to see less and less of the ripper he had come to know and admire. As well as the fact that Stefan didn't overindulge with the drinking, always seeming to have a very tight reign of control over himself, no matter how hard Klaus tried to get him to drink more.

"He is even starting to talk to Damon again." Again Caroline smiled, as she was glad that the brothers were finally reconciling. "Of course it probably makes things easier now that Kat is no longer with Damon." Caroline gave a slight shrug of her shoulder as she took another sip of wine.

"Well that is a very interesting tale, sweetheart." Klaus said as he put his arm around Caroline to press a kiss against her temple.

Once they were done with dinner, the food cartons cleared away and the wine glasses refilled they both settled onto the couch, Caroline tucking her bare feet under her legs as she leaned into Klaus, his arm sliding around her to pull her tightly against his side. Lifting the remote, Caroline started to scroll through the movie titles looking for something both of them could agree on. They finally agreed on an action movie, but only because Caroline thought the lead actor was in her words 'if he was president he would be Baberham Lincoln.'

It was about half way through the movie that Klaus had become bored and decided to turn his attention to the girl that was snuggled against his side. She was enraptured with the movie, as it had somehow snuck in some romance and Caroline had become completely invested in the lead characters relationship. Needing to pull her attention from the movie and on to him he started with light touches, his fingertips sliding over her shoulder and down her arm, playing gently with her fingers for a moment before moving back up the path he came down, a smirk pulling at his lips as he watched her shift herself against him, her hand lifting to rest against his thigh, her fingers kneading lightly on the fabric of his jeans.

Brushing her golden hair back over her shoulder he exposed the graceful curve of her neck, he tilted his head down to nuzzle the soft porcelain skin, Caroline's breath hitching as she felt the stubble of his cheek scratch against her as a soft sigh escaped her lips, her head falling to the side to allow him better access as the movie became forgotten. Klaus pressed open mouth kisses against her neck, his tongue flicking out to taste her skin, his actions sending a pool of heat straight to Caroline's belly.

Klaus shifted slightly in his seat as he pulled Caroline around to face him, his hands moving to her shoulders to push the cardigan off, exposing more of that delightful skin. Dipping his head down, he ran his mouth across her collar bone, pushing the tank top and bra strap off leaving her shoulder completely bare to continue his trail of fire across her skin unimpeded. Caroline was having trouble breathing at that point as she pulled herself out of her cardigan she lifted her hands up to stroke his face and run her fingers along the length of his neck, a smile on her lips as she caught his body tensing at her touch.

His mouth finally lifted from her skin to capture her mouth against his, her lips parting allowing him immediate entry into her mouth, their tongue dancing together as his hands roamed her body. Fingertips brushed lightly against her breasts before cupping with weight of them in the palm of his hands, thumbs brushing gently back and forth against her nipples that were hardening under his touch sending shivers racing through her body.

"Nik." She whispered against his lips, her body arching against his wanting to be closer. Her hands fell from his neck to glide against the muscles of his chest and stomach before coming to the edge of his shirt as she slid her hands under the fabric to feel his skin against her hands, a soft hum of pleasure escaping her lips as she caressed the ridges of his abs, his muscles jumping under her touch.

With a soft growl Klaus pushed Caroline onto her back his body coming to hover over her own, his hand lifting one of her legs to wrap around his waist, allowing him to make room between her legs as he settled his hips against her own. Caroline rolled her body against his own, causing Klaus to fight to catch his breath at the feel of her soft body pressed against his own. Caroline pulled at his shirt, wanting to see for herself what she had been imagining for months, pulling the offending fabric up and over his head, tossing it to the side she paused. He was absolutely gorgeous; every single muscle was outlined from his pecks to his abs that left her wanting to run her tongue over each and every line of his body.

With that thought in mind she twisted them around so that she was on top of him, her thighs straddling his hips as she ran her hands up and down his chest before leaning down to follow the lines of his muscles with her lips and tongue. Klaus groaned at the contact of her mouth against his skin, his hands burring themselves in her golden curls as she continued her ministrations against his body. He could only take so much before he pulled her back up to kiss her, his mouth moving against her own in the most delightful ways, his hands sliding across her back and down to the sweet curve of her ass, gripping the mounds tightly as he pulled her hard against his need for her.

"Niklaus." She whispered against his lips, her body felt like it was on fire, yet she knew she had to stop. She _knew _she had to stop, yet she couldn't help herself. She wanted him so badly but fear held her in check. She was afraid he would leave her once he had her and with Caroline falling for Klaus body and soul and she had to stop this before it went too far because she knew he liked her, but he wasn't where she needed him to be. She needed to be sure that once they slept together that he would stay with her. Gasping for breath she broke their kiss and nuzzled her face into his neck, whispering quietly against his skin "Not yet."

Klaus felt he was going to explode, especially when she called out his given name. How was he supposed to stop after that? All he wanted to do was rip off her clothing and bury himself inside of her, yet her pleas to go no further were headed reluctantly as he fought for his breath and tried to calm his raging desire for her. "You're diving me insane Caroline."He murmured against her hair before he lifted her off of him to place her on the other side of the couch unable to continue touching her without taking it further. With a sigh Klaus came to his feet and moved around the table to pick up his discarded shit and pulled it back on.

"I know. I'm sorry." Caroline whispered as she curled into the corner of the couch, her blue eyes dark with want as she watched the muscles of his back play under his skin as he got dressed a dark blush touching her face as she felt herself heat up once more.

"I am going to go, sweetheart. I won't be held responsible for my actions if I don't leave right now." His voice was rough with desire as he spared her a quick glance, and she could see the hunger written plainly on his face. Caroline gave a quick nod of understanding as she watched him unlock her door and walk out, closing it behind him with a hard slam. Caroline groaned as she pulled her hand across her face and stood up to take a very cold shower.

* * *

The Starbucks was quiet this late in the afternoon; the perfect place for Caroline to sit and write when she didn't want to be at home alone. Yes she was technically she wasn't really _with_ anyone at the table but there were still actual people in the shop. Plus the free Wi-Fi and having iced mocha lattes at her fingertips didn't hurt. She loved coming to Starbucks because it was a little piece of home. Well home as in the United States and not the little town she grew up in; it wasn't big enough to get a Starbucks.

Caroline leaned back in her chair as she contemplated what she had just written on the laptop before her. Her article on Victoria Beckham's line was due in a few days and she had only a few lines written so far. She was starting to form a very bad habit of barely meeting her deadlines and the cause of this newly formed bad habit could be laid at the door of her boyfriend. Caroline was wound tighter than a spring for the past few weeks ever since their movie night in. All of their dates ended up with them making out like a couple of hormonal teenagers with things never progressing past second base.

Her insecurity about Klaus leaving her was what held her back. If she was truthful with herself she was falling in love with him and she was scared shitless that he would leave her and break her heart. Things were getting to the point that one – she didn't think she could take this dancing around make out stuff much longer and two – she had to start trusting him at some point as he had done everything by the book so far. He stopped when she asked, never pressing even though she just needed one little push to send her over the edge, he treated her like a Queen whenever they were together and even apart as she had yet to go a single week without a fresh bouquet of flowers being delivered to her door and not to mention she actually felt cared for when she was with him. She could see it every time they were together and she was actually going to have to trust that feeling and take the next step with him if she wanted to move their relationship to the next level.

The hiss of the espresso machine brought her out of her reverie and her gaze back onto the laptop in front of her that held a total of five sentences. _Damn it Caroline, stop thinking about him and do your damn job._ With the little self talk out of the way she shook off her thoughts of Klaus and got back to her article only to be interrupted a moment later by a heavily accented voice. "Caroline Forbes?"

Caroline looked up confused at the man before her, he was tall, pale with light brown-blondish hair and a matching beard. "Umm, yeah….?"

"Galen Vaughn, Scotland Yard." A faint smile touching his lips as he observed the puzzled look that crossed Caroline's lovely face at his introduction. "London Police." He supplied helpfully as he pulled out his badge and identification for her to look over before putting it back into his pocket. Caroline gave a nervous nod at the explanation and closed her laptop as the man before her took a seat across from her, Caroline nervously tapping her fingers against the table as she watched him sit down.

Caroline could only stand a moment of silence before she started to ramble. "Does this have something to do with immigration because I can assure you I have all my legal documents to be in the country and the company that I work for totally was the one who took care of most of it and –"

"No, Ms. Forbes. This has nothing to do with your immigration status." Galen interrupted gently, not wanting to scare the girl. "This actually has to do with Klaus Mikaelson and Stefan Salvatore. Two people whom you have recently been seen a great deal with."

"Stefan and Nik?" Caroline's brows coming together as she leaned forward in her chair, concern marring her features. "Are they ok? Did they get in some kind of an accident? Is that why you are here? I don't understand why you would come rather than call….unless it is something really bad. Oh my God! There're not dead are they?"

Galen pressed his lips together as he watched Caroline work herself into a frenzy, the girl was truly unique, at least that was the most polite way that he could put it. "They are both fine Ms. Forbs. In perfect health." He reassured her quietly.

A look of relief swept across Caroline's face before it went back to confused as she met Galen's blue eyes with her own. "Then what is this about?"

Galen observed her for a moment before taking a deep breath and then leaned forward, his forearms coming to rest against the table top as he linked his fingers loosely together. "Ms. Forbes are you aware of what Mikaelson and Salvatore do for a living?"

Caroline's brows pulled together as she answered his question with a bit of hesitation. "Nik owns a shipping company with his brothers and Stefan works for them. Nik is like the CEO and Stefan is a project manager or something."

Galen smirked at her answer, oh the irony of it all. Shifting in his seat he glanced outside the window for a moment before returning his gaze to the pretty girl in front of him. "Yes, that is pretty much what they do except for the fact that their shipping company is actually a crime organization and what they do ship happens to be completely illegal: guns, drugs, stolen art to name a few. Their hands are in a few other illegal activities throughout the city. And as for CEO…" Galen gave a slight tilt of his head as he considered his words. "Mikaelson had crowned himself King of London's underworld and Salvatore is his enforcer which you could liken to a CEO and project manager I suppose."

Caroline was stunned to say the least as she listened to the man before her. A million things were running through her head at once as she ran the new information over and over again. Her thoughts were interrupted by Galen as he spoke once more. "Do you know what an enforcer is Ms. Forbes?" Caroline could not find her voice so she just shook her head no.

"An enforcer is someone who threatens, maims or kills those who do not obey Mikaelson's rules, that is what Stefan Salvatore is. His nick name on the streets is The Ripper because of the carnage he leaves behind." Galen dropped his chin a bit as he looked Caroline over, observing how she was taking the news.

Caroline pressed her hand against her mouth as she thought of her best friend Stefan, who was the definition of sweetness and kindness, committing those horrendous acts. It couldn't be possible; he wasn't capable of such things. And even if it was true there was no way he could keep something like that from her.

Shaking her head Caroline lifted her face as she locked her eyes with Galen's. "No, you are lying. This has to be some kind of sick joke. Stefan would never hurt anyone in a million years. How do I even know who you say you are? That badge could be a fake."

Galen pulled out his card and handed it to her, as he motioned to her lap top with his other hand. "Feel free to look up the number for Scotland Yard and ask about me. They will confirm I am who I say I am and everything I have told you is the truth. I am part of a special taskforce whose main goal is to take Mikaelson and his associates down."

"Task force?" Caroline asked faintly, as his reassurance of who he was had sent her back into a state of shock as she once again considered the consequences of believing the truth about her boyfriend and her best friend.

"Yes, task force. There are five of us, most of us here in London but one of the members is in Chicago – Connor Jordan with the FBI. Salvatore and Mikaelson caused quite the ruckus when they were in Chicago together. We assume Mikaelson was in town to make a few business deals, which is why your government is involved. And while Mikaelson was seeing to business he happened to pick up his new enforcer at the same time." Galen fell quiet as he allowed Caroline to process all of the information he had just shared with her.

Chicago, Klaus and Stefan met in Chicago, Stefan had said as much to her. Chicago was when she barely had any contact from him, and now that she thought about it, she never asked what he had been doing there all that time. And Klaus….she couldn't even begin to think about whether or not she believed him capable of such things, but all the clues were there. His conducting business at odd hours, how terrified anyone who came in contact with him was that was not one of his employees or family, and he didn't seem to have any friends except Stefan and even Stefan tended to tread carefully around Klaus.

"The taskforce was specifically created because of Mikaelson family and more notably Klaus himself. When Klaus Mikaelson took over the family business the illegal activity in London exploded. He is like a hybrid of businessman and criminal that is almost impossible to stop. He has expanded his business of illegal activity and has managed to keep his hands clean so we no way to arrest him. We have also seen the aftermath of his temper and bodies he leaves behind that people have taken to calling him The Wolf. He is vicious and clever, a deadly combination and he needs to be stopped.

Caroline swallowed hard at Galen's description of Klaus. All she had ever seen was the results of his reputation and yet she had never seen the person who he described to her with her own eyes. Klaus was funny, clever, sweet, sexy and a slew of other adjectives that were the main cause of Caroline falling in love with him. She couldn't believe that he was a monster Galan was describing anymore than she could believe her best friend capable of hurting another person. Caroline shook herself out of her thoughts for a moment as a question shot to the front of her mind and looked once more to Galen.

"Why are you telling me all of this?"

"We want you to help us. No one who was not directly connected with their business has ever been this close to Mikaelson and Salvatore before. We did a background check on you . You are a good lass, no prior record and your mother is even the Sheriff of the town you are from. We want you to be our eyes and ears on the inside and help us take them down." Galen pushed himself up and out of the chair as he looked down at her, Caroline's gaze drifting to blindly look out the window to become lost in her thoughts before he pulled her attention to him once more.

"They do a lot of bad things Ms. Forbes. You would be doing this city a great service by helping us. You have my card, please contact me and let me know what you decide." And with that he turned on his heel and walked out the door, leaving Caroline at a complete loss.

XxX

**Please review and let me know what you think about this chapter. I hope I haven't jumped the shark with the story line. **


	8. Aftermath

**A/N – I don't own TVD and please excuse all errors (no beta)**

**You may have noticed I removed the first chapter - given that it started as a drabble and how the story has progressed so far it will need to be torn apart and rebuilt to fit the story and will be placed appropriately in the story. **

**Thank you all for your insightful reviews and am always grateful for the feedback, favorites and follows. You guys rock my socks off. And let me tell you, I don't even take my socks off for sex. That is how much you guys rock. **

XxX

It had been an over an hour since Galen Vaughn had left, and Caroline had not moved an inch. The hour was spent looking blankly out the front window; the card Galen had given her tightly clutched in her hand as her mind relentlessly replayed their conversation over and over again in hopes to make sense of it all. It was when someone had accidently bumped into her that she was able to pull herself out of her reverie.

Blinking a few times Caroline looked down at the card she had almost had forgotten she had been holding. Before she would do anything she was going to verify Galen Vaughn and his story. Opening her laptop she did a search for the number for Scotland Yard. Once the number was found she pulled out her cell phone and dialed the main number, it took a round of transfers but she finally got to someone who not only verified who Galen Vaughn was who he said he was but also confirmed the information about Stefan and Klaus, killing that little bit of hope that she been holding on to that none of it was true.

There was a tightness in her chest that she was coming to recognize as hurt and anger. And not just at Stefan. Klaus was a big part of that hurt and anger as well. She was starting to fall in love with the stupid British jerk and come to find out he had been lying to her. She didn't know who she was angrier with, her boyfriend or her best friend. No, she was definitely angrier at her best friend given their history. She could almost understand why Klaus would keep this from her seeing as they only knew each other a few months and they haven't even slept together yet. But Stefan was a whole other story.

It was hard to think of Stefan and Klaus as dangerous men let alone everyone else she knew to be related to or worked for Klaus. Sure Klaus always had a menacing look on his face when he was looking at anyone but her. Now that she knew he was King of the London underworld it was probably part of the job description to look scary. At the time she just thought he looked mean because of his stupid Alpha Male tendencies that were constantly on display when they were together. He would glare at any man that would even glance her way and she was fairly certain that the reason his arm was always around her wasn't because he wanted her close, but more like he wanted to make sure that every person could see that she was his. Caroline didn't mind it for the most part, mainly because she actually enjoyed being so close to him.

Stefan, just looked like himself, broody when she wasn't busy trying to make him smile. And Kol was just Kol. Flirting with anything in a skirt and playing around the rest of the time. His brothers Finn and Elijah the little she did see of them looked like a couple of suits rather than criminals. And his other employees that tended to frequent the bar seemed like just regular people. Honestly she shouldn't be surprised that the dangerous people in her life all looked normal, Tyler had forced her to watch God knows how many stupid mafia movies and they all looked like normal people apart from them being totally good looking because they were in a movie after. Because you wouldn't want ugly people to be in a movie – right? _Damn it Caroline – stop rambling and focus. _

She knew she was just trying to distract herself from the fact that she just found out her boyfriend and best friend were part of a crime organization and the police just asked her to spy on them in order to have them arrested. How the hell was she even supposed to deal with this? This stuff is only supposed to happen in movies. Why the hell was it happening to her? What the hell was she going to do? The questions kept piling up and with each one added she felt her chest quickly start to constrict, announcing the forthcoming panic attack. At least she now felt justified for the rambling in trying to prevent herself from freaking the fuck out.

_Calm down….Calm down Caroline…. Deep breaths … _Because the last thing she needed was for her to start to panic and hyperventilate until she passed out in the middle of a Starbucks. Caroline stayed in place for few minutes as she concentrated on taking slow steady breaths her mantra of _Calm down….Calm down Caroline…. Deep breaths … _repeating over and over in her head. Once she felt like she was in control again she quickly gathered her things, stuffing them haphazardly into her messenger bag before pulling the strap over her shoulder and made her way out the door starting towards Stefan's flat. She knew he was going to be home today watching some American football game on a channel that he paid outrageous amounts of money for.

The one thing she really needed right now other than a panic attack was answers from Stefan. Caroline needed to know how this happened. How he went from the boy she grew up with into someone who would willingly hurt other people. Caroline couldn't for the life of her grasp her mind around what Stefan was and the things that Galen had said he did. She had known him since elementary school, hell she declared him her best friend after on the second day of school and they had been inspirable ever since. She knew him better than he knew himself.

And she also really wanted to know why he had kept this from her. When Stefan had received his first kiss, the moment it was over he had run straight to Caroline on the playground to tell her what had just happened. He would tell her about the fights he had with Demon and his father. Stefan liked to call her his walking talking journal because Caroline was the only one who could get him to open up when he was brooding, getting him to share his thoughts and feelings. When he first realized he liked Kat it was Caroline he talked to figure out how to approach her about it. Stefan had never kept anything from her and then to find out he was hiding the fact he was part of a mob as their hit man shook her faith in their friendship.

Three impatient train stops later Caroline was pounding on Stefan's front door. It was only a few moments before it opened to reveal Stefan in a white sleeveless undershirt and black sweatpants that hung low on his hips, a confused but pleased look on his face as he found Caroline on his front door step.

"Caroline. What are you doing here?" Stefan asked as he lifted his arm to rest against the door jamb to lean his weight against it.

"We need to talk." Caroline said as she pushed him back into his flat and closed the door behind her. "Sit." She said pointing to the couch as she came over to turn off the flat screen that hung on the wall. Stefan's flat was a lot like her own, smallish but tastefully masculine in decor. Caroline always teased him that there was a sassy gay man in him that was just below the surface waiting to get out.

"Hey! I was watching that." Stefan complained as he begrudgingly fell back onto the couch. Caroline didn't even bother to respond to that comment as she pulled off her messenger bag and set it on the floor. She moved to sit on the chair across from him, but was soon up in moments to restlessly pace around the room.

Stefan finally seemed to notice the serious and distressed look that marred Caroline's lovely face. His annoyance disappearing as he sat up to rest his elbows onto his knees, his fingers loosely lacing together, as a look of concern crossed his features. "Care….what's going on?"

"I know."

Stefan's brows pulled together in confusion as he let go of his hands and lifted them up in question. "Know what?"

"That you are an enforcer and that Nik is some kind of crime boss." Caroline said quietly, playing nervously with her fingers as she lifted her blue eyes to watch his face.

She could see that he was stunned and then she caught the look of guilt that followed soon after causing her blue eyes to fill with tears. She had not realized she was holding onto some kind of crazy hope that perhaps he had been set up or something equally insane and the look on his face had crushed it.

"How did this even happen Stefan? Why didn't you tell me?" Her voice cracking as fat tears started to roll down her pale cheeks.

"Oh Care." Stefan moving off the couch in moments to embrace her, his strong arms pulling her tightly against his chest as he gently rocked her back and forth. It killed him that he was the cause of her tears. That his dirty little secret was not only out, but he was hurting his best friend because of it. She cried quietly against him for a few moments and once her tears slowed, he pulled away from her and pulled her onto the couch with him, keeping her hands firmly in his own.

"I didn't… I didn't tell you about it because I was ashamed." Stefan murmured as he looked down at his bare feet, unable to look her in the eye as he told his tale. "When Kat left me, it was the single worst day of my life, the woman that I loved just up me and left and tore my heart out of my chest. I begged her, pleaded with her to come back to me and all she said was no. And when I asked why, all she could tell me was that she didn't love me anymore. That she wasn't sure she even loved me in the first place."

Stefan's voice was soft and even, trying to hold back the pain by telling the story as if it was someone else who had gone through that heartbreak. He could feel Caroline squeeze his hands reassuringly as he continued with his story. "When I found out that Kat and Demon were together …. I lost it. I couldn't believe my own brother would take my girl away from me. He knew she was everything to me and still he was with her. You of course know about the fight."

Stefan looked up quickly to catch Caroline's nod, her face tight with concern as she watched him intently. "So I left and I shut it all off. I didn't want to feel anymore, so I started to drink. Drink from the moment I woke up to the point I would pass out. I kept myself numb with alcohol and I did a lot of bad things because I just didn't care anymore." Stefan let go one of her hands to cover the shameful look that crossed his face. "I wasn't myself. I did so many things that I now regret….. it was in Chicago that I met Klaus. He was just as bad, if not worse than I was."

Stefan paused, taking a deep breath as his hand fell from his face to take her hand once more. "He invited me to come and work for him. I had nothing to keep me in the states, other than you of course, but I just needed to get away. I had to get as far away from Kat and Demon as I could."

Taking another deep breath Stefan had finally found the courage to look up at her, Caroline's features only expressing concern at his story. "I did a great deal of bad things, Care – and I didn't regret them at the time. I was just trying to numb my pain with liquor and violence. Eventually I started to feel again." A faint smile touching his lips as he lifted his hand to caress her pale tear stained cheek. "Thanks to you. You pulled me back from the darkness."

"But when I came back all I felt was an overwhelming sense of guilt. I was so ashamed of everything I had done I just couldn't tell you. I couldn't stand it if you knew what a monster I was. I hate what I do now. I want to stop." Stefan's head tilted back and forth as he considered his words.

"Then why don't you?" Caroline's voice barely above a whisper, her thumbs rubbing soothing circles against his knuckles as she bent her head to try catch his eye.

"Because you don't just walk away from this life, Caroline." There was such an edge to his voice that it caused Caroline to pause for a moment, her head tilting forward to consider his words before she spoke. "A policeman came to see me today. He told me all about you and Nik. That is how I found out about you. He wanted me to spy on you, give them information to arrest you. You have to get out of this life Stefan. I don't want to see you go to jail."

A sad smile crossed Stefan's lips as he brought her hands up so he could press soft kisses to the back of her hands. "We are very careful Caroline. That task force, all five of them, they have no chance of bringing us down. Finn is the best lawyer in London. They can't get anything past him. And Klaus is good at what he does, he makes sure that everyone's hands are clean. You are honestly the best shot they have and since you are here with me, it is a dead end for them. At least I assume so?"

Stefan's head dipped a bit as he looked at Caroline in question. She gave him a tired smile back. "I could never betray you like that Stefan. You are my best friend. I would help you bury a body." Caroline joked softly, remembering the times she would playfully remind Stefan that she had shovels and trash bags in her trunk whenever anyone would upset him.

Stefan pulled Caroline into a hug, his arms wrapped tightly around her as his chin rested on top of her head. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. And don't be mad at Klaus. I told him not to tell you. He kept it from you because of me." He felt Caroline nod her head against his shoulder at his confession. Caroline took a deep breath and pulled back so she could meet his gaze.

"What do we do now?"

Stefan smiled slightly as he leaned back against the couch and pulled her back with him tucking her against his side. "We act normal. Everything is still the same, the only difference is you know the truth." Caroline gave a slight nod as she snuggled against him, her teeth catching her bottom lip and chewing it thoughtfully as she once again ran all the information through her head. After all of that she wasn't sure what normal was.

* * *

Caroline was nervous. This was the first time she had seen Klaus since she found out about what he was really doing. This was supposed to be a date. The week before she had practically guilt tripped Klaus into letting her come over to his place because she had never been and she wanted to see it. It was probably a force of habit not to bring any of his lady friends home with him. Hard to avoid them when they knew where you lived. But she had played the whole _I'm your girlfriend_ card and had gained an invitation; of course this was just days before she found out what he really did for a living.

He lived in downtown London, a place she could never in a million years afford. _Of course he would live in a high rise and of course he would live in a penthouse._ Caroline thought silently to herself as she looked at the address in her hand and the skyscraper in front of her. Klaus was very much a go big or go home kind of guy. Once inside the building she checked in with the guard and he walked her over to the elevator, mindlessly pressing the call button and they waited in silence for it to reach the ground floor. Once inside Caroline watched as the guard stepped in and slid a key card through the scanner and pressed the button for the penthouse before stepping back out of the elevator.

She was so nervous to see him. He had been in her thoughts nonstop since she had left Stefan's. What did this information mean for their relationship? Did she actually want to date someone who was a professional criminal? Her mom was a cop, how could she date someone who led a life of crime? The worse thing Tyler ever did was get a DUI. Was he going to start acting differently? Should she act differently? The only thing it didn't change was that she still wanted to have sex with him. That was for damn sure.

The ding from the elevator pulled her out of her thoughts and once she was out of the elevator she glanced up and down the hall, two doors at each end. He was the one on the left. Her small hands held the straps of her purse in a near death grip as she walked over to the door. Once she made it to the door she spared a glance back at the elevator and considering retreating, but before she could make a decision the door opened to reveal …. a butler? Good God! He didn't really have a butler did he? Although he was a little young to be one, he looked like he was in his late twenties.

"Ms. Forbs?" The young man in the suit asked gently, the door opening wider as he stood to the side as she gave a nod, confirming his assumption. "Please come in. We have been expecting you." She squinted at him for a moment, his formal words reinforcing the whole butler assumption.

The whole butler thing was forgotten the moment she walked into Klaus's home, her jaw hitting the floor as she stood in awe of what was before her. A wall of floor to ceiling windows bathed the penthouse in sunlight, the sunlight highlighting the elegance of style in the furniture that was scattered throughout the place that screamed wealth and elegance. Caroline was almost sure Stefan had helped him decorate, the two of them having such similar styles; Klaus's was just on a grander scale. Apparently crime does pay and very well at that. Oh God she did not just think that. She was getting as bad a Kol and Klaus with their stupid lines. At least she didn't say it out loud.

"Please follow me Miss." The young man intoned softly, pulling Caroline back from ogling the place and walked quickly after the butler as he lead her to the back of the penthouse and into what could only be called a studio. The room was full with half finished paintings and drawings, art supplies scattered around the room in a haphazard manner. She was pretty sure there was not one clear surface in the entire room. Her boyfriend stood in front of one of the canvases, his hand resting on his chin, finger pressed against his lips in a thoughtful pose as he silently contemplated the work in progress.

Klaus looked amazing, and even more so seeing him in his element. He had told her that he painted and drew but this room confirmed that it was not just a hobby for him but that he was an actual artist at heart. Her bright blue eyes darkening as she looked over his handsome form, his dark gray v-neck shirt that hugged his tone chest was flecked with paint, his necklaces hanging half in and half out of the opening of his shirt. His shirt sleeves were pushed up revealing distressed looking brown leather cuff that was clasped around his right wrist. His usual uniform of dark pant and boots completed his outfit.

"Ms. Forbs here to see you Mr. Mikaelson." Klaus looked up at that moment and his eyes found Caroline's and they held each other's gaze. Both of them standing quietly still, the only sound coming from the young man as he shuffled out of the room and shut the door with a soft click. She knew that Stefan had called Klaus and told him that she knew the truth and it made Caroline feel incredibly awkward as they stood staring at each other, she had no idea how to approach this and Klaus had his poker face in place giving her no indication on how he felt about the new turn of events.

Unable to face him any longer Caroline swallowed hard and turned away from him, setting her purse on the floor as she moved to look through some of the sketches that were scattered across the table that was closest to her. He could feel him staring at her and she felt her cheeks go up in flames.

She heard him put the paint brushes down and move around the room until he was standing right next to her. The heat of his body confirming what she refused to with her eyes, because that would mean having to look at him and she was not ready for that yet. Not wanting to address the elephant in the room quiet yet, she murmured softly. "Do you seriously have a butler?"

Klaus smirked at her question, no matter how she was feeling right now, he knew she wouldn't be able to help herself in regards to the man who answered the door. "No, Alex is not my Butler. He is just one of my men, sweetheart. And his duties do include answering the door."

Caroline gave a slight nod at that answer. She still didn't trust it though, he seemed a little too formal to be just one of Klaus's men, but she let it drop and turned her attention to the drawings in front of her. "These are really amazing." Her small hands turning each page with a reverence, his drawings were absolutely breathtaking.

"Thank you, love." Klaus said he gave himself the pleasure of looking her over, while she wasn't facing him. Caroline looked absolutely ravishing, her skinny jeans paired with dark brown knee high boots hugged her slender legs. A black cowl neck sweater hung loosely from her shoulders, the left side falling open just enough to reveal the delightful curve of the of bare skin of her shoulder, the dark blue lacy shoulder strap of her cami teasingly hinting at what lacy delight he would find the underneath the sweater she wore.

It had been an almost religious experience for him when Caroline had walked into his studio. To have his muse in the same room as his art was something he would always remember. He had taken to his art again when he met her, inspired by her light and beauty. He had never gotten to draw her with her in front of him, as he never drew outside of his home, so he always drew her from memory.

When she had first started angling for an invitation, he had been adamantly against it. He never brought women home, ever. Then again he didn't date ever and look where he was now. She had begged and pleaded and finally pulled rank of girlfriend and he had to relent. He was actually looking forward to having her over so he could sit her down and draw her. And then Stefan called, telling him that she knew everything which pretty much ruined his plans for the day he was to have her in his home. Seemed that pesky cop Vaughn who was constantly trying to hunt him down had gone to Caroline in hopes she would be an informant.

Vaughn telling her everything and asking her to work for the task force was completely pointless; Klaus had made sure to keep her and his business completely separate and her knowing what he really did would not change that. Stefan had confirmed she wasn't going to take Vaughn up on his offer, and Klaus was oddly pleased at how loyal she was to her friend. He wondered if she would have extended her unwavering loyalty to him given the place he held in her life if Stefan had not been involved.

Standing this close to Caroline without touching her was starting to make him restless. It was hard going from touching her whenever he wanted to a limbo state of not knowing if she would welcome his touch. Unable to help himself he tucked one of her blonde curls behind her ear before his hand dropping to ghost his fingers across her almost bare shoulder, a smirk touching his lips as he saw her cheeks blossom with color.

His hand had not been slapped away so that was a good sign and it showed that at least she still enjoyed his touch. He had been curious to know where she would go with this information that she now knew about him. Would she end things? Would she be able to continue on knowing it was a crime lord she was spending her time with? The curiosity gnawed at him, but he did not want to push her. He would let her tell him in her own time.

It was a few more minutes before Caroline spoke up once more, intently watching her fingertips as they grazed across a few of his sketches. "So… mob boss, huh?"

"Appears so, love."

"How did you get into all of it?"

Klaus tilted his head as he contemplated his girl, unable to resist touching her once more he lifted his hand to run his fingers lightly along her spine, feeling the warmth of her skin just below her clothes. "It is a family business. My brothers and I became more involved the older we got, and when my mother and her husband got into a car accident that killed them both, I took over as the head of family business."

"Is your sister involved?"

"Not as involved as my brothers and I are. She only assists when we need a little blonde distraction to help us out on jobs."

Caroline listened silently as he spoke, considering her next words carefully before she asked her next question. "Did you ever consider doing something else that wasn't illegal?"

Klaus eye brows shot up as he tilted his head, his voice reflecting his feelings at how obvious the answer was to such a question. "No. Why would I want to give up being the most powerful man in London?"

Pressing her lips together she found enough courage to lift her head and actually look him in the eye. His dirty blonde curls where in array, as if he had been constantly dragging his fingers through them. His five o'clock shadow framing his raspberry lips to perfection. His features showing the he felt no guilt whatsoever for what he was.

"I enjoy what I do Caroline and I'm good at it. If you stay with me, you are going to have to accept that this is who I am. I am not going to change." His voice was strong and sure, his ocean blue eye's catching the emotions that flickered across her face.

Caroline pulled her gaze away from his as she looked down to the drawings once more, her teeth gently chewing on her bottom lip as she thought over his words. It was obvious that he wasn't going to turn his life around just because she was uncomfortable with it. But could she be ok with it? Could she really be with someone who did terrible things? Weren't they all just terrible people? And yet Stefan did terrible things but he wasn't a terrible person. And when she looked at Klaus she honestly could say she didn't see him as a terrible person. She was starting to see him as the man she was falling in love with.

The thought of leaving him left her heart aching. Could see really walk away from him, and the feelings he inspired in her? What she felt for him was nothing close to anything she felt for Tyler or even her high school sweetheart Matt, and she and Klaus hadn't even taken the next step yet. Caroline always used to joke with Kat about how Stefan was her epic love and here she honestly felt that Klaus could be _her _epic love. Could she honestly walk away from that?

Taking a deep breath she looked up again to face him once more, delicate hand lifting to cup his face lightly, her thumb slowly rubbing away a speck of paint that was just under his eye. "Ok. I understand you are not going to change, and I will deal with it. I'll never like it, but I won't let it stop me from being with you."

An overwhelming feeling of relief had had flooded him once he realized she was going to stay with him. He told himself he was relieved because it meant he could still play his game and get into her bed, and _not_ the fact the she cared enough about him to over the look his darkness. That she with her light that was so pure and clean would ever think twice about a creature such as himself made his heart constrict with a feeling that he refused to name or even admit that existed.

The moment the words left her mouth Klaus pulled her against him and crushed his mouth to hers. The little blonde sighing against his lips as her arms snaked around his neck, her hands tugging gently at his hair as she pressed herself closer to him. His own hands sliding up and down the gentle curve of her back, one hand coming to rest against the small of her back as the other slid up to bury his fingers into the soft mane of golden curls that reminded him of a lion, _his little golden lioness, _he thought to himself as continued to ravage her mouth.

His tongue traced the seem of her lips before they parted for him, swallowing one of her moans as he plunged his tongue into her mouth, tasting her sweetness. Not one to be shy, Caroline responded in kind, flicking her tongue against his own. His kisses were like heroin, she was completely addicted to them, what he could do with his mouth always left her breathless and sent her mind racing a mile a minute with all her dirty thoughts of just what she wanted him to do to her with that talented mouth.

Klaus felt her push that delightful body closer against his own, her soft curves fitting perfectly into the hard planes of his body. He wanted to strip every bit of clothing off of her and make love to her in his studio and once they were done he would paint her in all her glory with the aftermath of their love making all over her body. Yet, he knew she was not quite ready to take that next step with him.

Caroline pulled back from their kiss to tug his bottom lip into her mouth and suck on it lightly, teasing strokes of her tongue against it before she captured his mouth in another mind blowing kiss. A kiss that Klaus broke a moment later, their soft pants filling the room as Klaus leaned down to rest his forehead against her own. "As much as I would like to continue this sweetheart, we are losing the light and I have some drawings of my muse that must to be done." He murmured softy against her lips before he pulled away from her.

A confused look crossed her lovely features as she watched him grab his sketchbook and tools, anchoring them in one hand before taking her by her hand and leading her out the door. Her face transforming from puzzled as he lead her to one of the chairs in the living room and then took a seat in front of her, to shyly joyful as she came to the realization that he was implying that she was his muse. They spent the rest of the afternoon with drawing and quiet conversation their date having gone a completely different direction than either of them had anticipated that morning

XxX

**Well …what did you think? Was it too OOC? Do you feel like Caroline's feelings and thoughts supported her actions in this chapter? Any and all feedback is always welcome. **


	9. Kat Part 1

_**A/N – Thank you all for the feedback on the last chapter – some of you liked it others didn't. I appreciate all of your opinions and thank you for your honesty (did you see what I did there?) Again thank you for the support as I write this. **_

_XxX_

"_Hi Barbie."_

Caroline rolled her eyes as she fell back into her couch. Why did she pick up the phone again? "Damon. What the hell do you want?"

"_Well someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed in their Barbie Dream House."_

"I was in a great mood until you called Damon." Caroline snarked into the phone as she her tugged her fingers irritably through her curls.

"_I tend to have that effect on people. It's a gift" _

Caroline could almost hear him smirking through the phone. "Again, what the do you want?"

"_Blondie I am hurt that you would think that I would call just because I want something."_

"You do only call when you want something."

"_Awww, and here I thought we were becoming best friends forever, just like you and my baby bro."_

Caroline snorted at that.

"_So I hear you have found Ken. How is that working out for you? Am I going to be invited to your Barbie Dream Wedding?"_

God, she was really starting to regret all the times she brought her Barbie stuff over to Stefan's when they were in elementary school. Her Barbie's would usually go on raids with Stefan's G.I. Joes before returning to base for Barbie to have a celebratory tea party with G.I. Joe for a successful mission. Damon only being two years older than they were bore witness to these play dates and had used them against her ever since. Plus the fact he said she looked a real life Barbie didn't help matters either.

"Sure, why not." Caroline said, her voice practically dripping with sarcasm. "You can bring your bromance Alaric with you as your date."

"_Great. Where do you plan to register? Bed, Bath and Barbie?"_

"God damn it Damon! If you don't tell me what the hell you want I am so going to hang up on your ass." Caroline's temper snapping as she growled her threat into the phone. Damn it, she was starting to sound just like Klaus when Kol got too out of control.

"_Easy Blondie, just having a little fun."_

"Damon." The warning clear in Caroline's voice, she could hear Demon sigh into the phone and almost hear him roll his eyes before he became serious enough to answer her question.

"_Stefan isn't answering my calls."_

Caroline sighed as he finally got to the damn point. Most of the time Damon called her was because of Stefan. While Stefan and Damon were not on speaking terms Damon would call her just to get an update on his brother. It was the only reason she ever even tolerated talking to the elder Salvatore was because of his love for his younger brother. Now that Stefan and Damon were talking again, she didn't hear from Damon as often as she used to, thank God.

"Kat is coming into town."

"_Damn."_

"I'm sure it is going to be ok Damon. He probably just needs a little time to adjust with her being in town. She is only here for a week and I am going to do my best to keep them apart as much as possible." Caroline tried to reassure him gently. She was just as concerned about Stefan relapsing as Damon was. Especially after knowing the truth about Stefan's past. Although, honestly Caroline felt Stefan was in a good enough place that he could handle seeing Katherine again and not fall apart.

"_There is no telling what will happen when she bitch is on the loose."_

"Hey! That is my best friend and your ex-girlfriend you are talking about."

"_Well we all make mistakes."_

"You're such a dick."

"_You know you love it Blondie."_

Caroline just rolled her eyes and looked at the clock. Was 1 p.m. too early to start drinking?

"Look, I will keep you in the loop with Stefan while Kat is in town, ok? And I am sure that Stefan will start talking to you again once she leaves."

Damon sighed dramatically into the phone before mumbling "Fine."

Caroline just rolled her eyes once more and decided that it definitely wasn't too early to start drinking.

"I will text you soon."

"_You better Barbie."_

"Bye Damon."

"_Bye Blondie."_

* * *

"KAT!"

"CAROLINE!" Katherine yelled as she dropped all her bags and ran straight for her best friend, hopping into her arms and crashing both of them straight into the ground.

"Gah!"

Both girls lay sprawled on the ground of the airport, a mess of blonde and chestnut curls as they fell into gales of laughter, drawing the eyes of the people around them. Caroline gasped for breath as she rolled Katherine off of her and pulled herself up to her feet, her face red as a tomato as she caught the looks of those around her. Shaking her head with embarrassment she leaned down to pull her best friend up to her feet.

"You haven't changed a bit Kat." Caroline drawled as she pulled her friend into a tight hug before letting her go and taking her arm to lead her over to the bags and jacket that Katherine had left lying in a pile on the floor in front of the main terminal doors. Leaning down she helped her friend pick up her things before leading her over to the baggage claim.

Katherine rolled her eyes at Caroline's comment. "We've only been apart for like 4 months. What did you expect? I mean shit; it isn't like you went over the rainbow or something, Dorothy."

"Ok, Damon."

"Hey!"

"Look, I'm just saying your snark factor increased like times 1000 once you got with him….. just an observation." Caroline smirked as she came to a stop at the baggage claim waiting for the bags to arrive, her arm still linked with Katherine's as they both watched for the belt to start.

"Or maybe he just brings the mega bitch out in all the women he dates." Katherine's eye brows went up as if she was offering some scientific explanation on the behavior changes of women that were in sexual contact with one Mr. Damon Salvatore.

"I think he brings the mega bitch out of anyone he interacts with." Caroline smirked once more as she lifted her arm to wrap around her best friend's shoulder, pulling her close against her, her blonde head falling to rest against her shoulder.

"True." They shared a comfortable silence before Caroline spoke up once more.

"So is there a reason you are dressed like a hooker today? I thought you usually save that stuff for the club." Carline said as she lifted her head to give her friend the once over. Katherine was dressed with skin tight jeans, black high heeled booties and a green and blue corset top that lifted her breasts to make it seem like they were being offered on a plate.

"With those pictures you sent of your boyfriend's hot brothers I thought we might run into one of them today."

"At the airport?" Caroline brows furrowed together as she tried to grasp Katherine's logic of why Klaus's brothers would come to the airport with Caroline to pick her up.

"Not at the airport you goof. In case we like went straight to the bar or something." Katherine shrugged a bare shoulder in explanation. "Plus you never know when you are going to meet some hot guy on the plane and join the mile high club." Katherine said lifting her eyebrows up and down with emphasis.

Caroline just laughed and shook her head and focused on talking about Klaus's brothers. "Well if you are interested in his brothers Fin is married so he is off the table and that just leaves Elijah and Kol. Although honestly Elijah is a suit so not sure if you are really into that and Kol is too silly for your tastes."

Katherine just shrugged again her eyes moving from Caroline to the conveyor belt that had started up looking for her luggage. "Don't care. They are hot and I am only here for a week."Caroline just rolled her eyes as she turned her attention to the conveyor belt as well.

Once Katherine's bags had been collected they brought everything outside to the curb for arrivals where the black Range Rover waited for them. Glenn stood patiently at the back of the SUV, the hatch back open as he waited for the delivery of Katherine's luggage.

Both girls gave him a smile as they gave him all of Katherine's luggage before climbing into the back seat. "Now this is what I call riding in style." Carline just smirked at her comment as they made their way to Caroline's flat. Once they arrived Glenn helped them take everything inside of her place. Once ever thing was delivered Glenn gave a slight nod, leaving his card before he left them alone. Klaus had said that Glenn would be their driver for the week that Katherine was in town.

Once they had everything unpacked and settled they both fell onto the couch, Caroline watching Katherine as she looked around the flat. "So, what do you think?" Caroline asked as she tucked her feet under her legs and leaned her elbow on the arm of the couch.

"It's small." Katherine said as she looked around the room, her slender fingers pulled at her chestnut curls, twirling her hair around in a make shift bun at the back of her neck only to have it fall apart the moment she let go of her hair.

"It's London." The simple statement explanation enough about why her place was so small.

Katherine gave a slight shrug of her shoulder before she turned her attention to her best friend, brown eyes taking a moment to look her over. She looked good for the most part, her blonde curls hung loosely around her heart shaped face, and her pink blouse hugged her trim figure with a gray cardigan hanging from her shoulders, skinny blue jeans hugging her slender legs. At least she didn't get fat.

"So what do you want to do? Do you want to rest? Or maybe get some dinner? See some sights first? You decide because this week is all about you."

"Everyday should be about me." Katherine said, lifting her eyebrow as if that should have been obvious from the start.

Caroline resisted the urge to roll her eyes and just let her head fall to the side, her eyebrows lifting as if to say _seriously_?

"Let's go to your boyfriends bar." Katherine said as she lifted herself off the couch to go into the bathroom, flipping the light on before she started primping herself in front of the mirror.

"Kat, you are in London for the first time ever and you want to go to Nik's bar?" Caroline's brows drew together as she twisted around in her seat to lean herself over the arm of the couch, watching Katherine mess with her hair in the bathroom.

"Sure why not? It is night time Caroline; it isn't like a lot of tourist attractions are open anyway. And besides, you have talked so much about it I want to see it for myself. And maybe Nik's sexy brothers will be there." Katherine gave a quick waggle of her brows as she turned off the light and strode towards the door. "Come on! Up! Let's go." Katherine clapped her hands at Caroline before turning to pull on her shoes and jacket.

Caroline let out a deep sigh as she pulled herself up and pulled out her phone from her back pocket. Her bottom lip caught between her teeth as she sent a quick text to Stefan.

_I'm on my way to Nik's bar with Kat, just wanted to give you a heads up in case you don't want to see her. – C_

Tucking her phone back into her pocket she made her way to the door, stepping into her pink Tory Burch flats and pulling on her jacket and scarf. A soft ding signaled an incoming text message, and Caroline pulled her phone out again and read the message.

_Thanks for the warning. – S_

Caroline gave a soft sigh as she tucked her phone into her jacket pocket and moved to grab her purse.

"So are we taking the Range Rover?" Katherine asked as she rocked on the balls of her feet waiting for Caroline to get ready to go out.

"No. We are going to take the train. I am determined that you experience at least a little bit of London tonight and what better way than to take the Underground." Caroline smirked as she pulled Katherine out the door. Once the door was locked she looped her arm through Katherine's and they made their way to the train station.

The ride was quick and Caroline was pretty sure Katherine actually enjoyed the experience. Well kind of enjoyed. Maybe. Her mutterings about how much better it would be if they were being driven around in an expensive SUV instead of taking the train made her doubt the whole Katherine actually enjoying the London Underground but she was going to pretend that she enjoyed it nonetheless.

The walk from the train station wasn't that far, which was good because the less Katherine had to complain about the better. The bar itself was fairly busy given the fact that it was a Wednesday night. Caroline and Katherine entered the bar, pulling off their jackets as they made their way deeper inside of the building. Caroline's blue eyes scanning over the crowed looking anyone that she knew, although more specifically she was checking to see if Stefan had decided to leave or stay knowing she was brining Katherine with her to the bar.

The bar seemed to be clear of anyone that she knew and Stefan nowhere in sight which helped ease the tension in her shoulders she had not realized she had been holding onto. With a slight shrug she piled her's and Katherine jackets on an empty bar stood and pulled herself up onto the one next to it, Katherine following suit next to her. Caroline smiled as George came up to the two of them, the man giving a curious glance to Katherine before returning his gaze to Caroline.

"Hi George." Caroline smiled as he gave her a small wink. "Can you get us two rum and cokes …. " Her voice trialing for a moment as she looked over at Katherine who was just giving her a look that said that wasn't going to be enough. "….and four shots of tequila please." Katherine's smile returning to her lips once the drink order was placed.

George quickly returned with their rum and cokes and then turned to take care of their shots. Four shooters placed onto the bar top before grabbing a bottle of tequila and filled each glass. Just as he was going to put the bottle away, Katherine's hand shot out to stop him from putting the tequila away. "Leave the bottle. We are going to be drinking a whole lot more."

George glanced at Caroline who just rolled her eyes and gave a slight nod. Normally he didn't let the customers take the bottle, but given that it was Klaus's girl in front of him, he wasn't going to gainsay her friend. Setting the bottle down, he left the ladies to their drinking as he moved away to take care of his other customers.

Caroline and Katherine both lifted a shot as Katherine made her toast. "Best friends forever together again….. And I am still prettier than you are."

Caroline just laughed, a quiet "You wish." murmured as they clanked their glasses together and took the shot. The girls spent the next two hours drinking shots and talking. Most of the conversation centered on Katherine and her job working at one of the trendiest bar's in Manhattan. They also covered Caroline's relationship and Katherine's never ending parade of men that would hold her interest for a month before she became tired of them. Their conversation slowly falling apart as the night progressed with each additional shot that they took.

Caroline and Katherine were well on their way to beyond hammered when Caroline felt a set of warm hands curl around her waist and the scent of woods filling her senses. A smile touched her lips as she felt her boyfriend lean down to press a lingering kiss against the skin of her neck before lifting his lips murmur softly in her ear. "Hello sweetheart."

"Nik!" Caroline almost yelled as she twisted around in her chair to face him and then almost fell off her bar stool as she became dizzy from the momentum. Lucky for her that Klaus still had his arms around her and was able to catch her before she face planted onto the floor. Caroline gave a drunken giggle at the almost fall and lifted her arms to wrap around his neck. Her words slurred as she pressed sloppy kisses against his cheek. "Hii looouve. I missshed you."

Klaus just smirked as he pulled back from her, the strong smell of tequila practically radiating off of her as she spoke to him. Klaus glanced over at the almost empty bottle of tequila for a moment before looking back at his inebriated girlfriend. "And you are very drunk, love."Klaus said with an amused sigh as he tucked one of her curls behind her ear, his other arm firmly latched around her waist incase she decided to try and take another nosedive onto the floor.

"I'mmm not bunk. I'mm imbeveraged." Caroline said with a sharp nod of her head looking extremely pleased with herself for that explanation.

"Yeeeah! Imbeveraged." Katherine confirmed as she raised her shot glass in agreement before taking the shot. Klaus's eyebrows went up with amusement as he watched the two women explain their current state of drunkenness to him. Klaus could tell that Katherine was just as drunk as Caroline, if not more so.

With a slight shake of his head he looked over Caroline's head to catch George's eye. "I think it is time to cut these ladies off for the evening."

"Hey!" They both said in unison as George snapped up the bottle to put it back onto the self and out of their reach. Katherine started to pull her legs up onto the seat of the bar stool so she could climb onto the bar in an effort to take back the bottle, but only got so far before a set of hands grabbed her hips and pulled her ass firmly back onto the chair. Katherine twisted in her seat, ready to give a piece of her mind to the person who tried to stop her only to freeze as she looked at the man who held her.

"Woo, you'rrrre hawt." The words fell out of her mouth without a second thought, which given how drunk she was second thoughts were pretty much a ridiculous notion at that point.

Katherine looking over the man who held her without an ounce of shame for her perusal over his person, he was tall, the suit he was wearing fit his body well, showcasing the lean muscles underneath. His strong jaw free of stubble, his dark hair styled with a little bit of gel, his chocolate brown eyes filled with a mix of curiosity and amusement as he looked down on the woman he was currently restraining from climbing over the bar.

Katherine's words finally pulled Caroline's attention away from the bottle of tequila she was gazing longingly at to look at Katherine and the man who was holding her down. A smile lighting up her face as she recognized who it was and reached out to pat him on the arm, only missing it completely and her hand ending up patting Katherine's leg instead. "Elijah!"

"Ms. Forbes." Elijah said politely as he gave Caroline a respectful nod before retuning his attention to the girl in his arms.

"Hhhooooww manny times doo I hafta tell yous to call mee Claroline?" Caroline said as she swayed a bit in her seat before leaning heavily against Klaus, one of her hands lifting to play idly with the necklaces around his neck as his hands slid soothingly up and down her back as he held her against his body.

"Apologies Caroline." Elijah said with a nod of his head, his eyes never leaving Katherine who was currently staring at him like he was sex on a stick. "And what is your name?"

"Kitty Kat." Caroline answered at the same time Katherine did. "Katherine."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Katherine." Elijah murmured as he lifted up one of her hands and pressed a soft kiss against the back of it. Klaus observed the whole scene unfold with an amused smirk as he watched his older brother lay on the charm with Caroline's friend. He had never seen his brother this interested in a woman before, let alone a drunk one considering that Elijah never allowed himself to overindulge and hated to be around people who did.

"I waaant the fleasure of riddding your discooo shtick." Katherine said bluntly causing Elijah's brows to furrow in confusion as he shot Klaus a quick glance for clarification only to have his brother shrug because he sure as hell didn't know what Katherine was talking about. Caroline however had caught the comment and went completely red in the face, her hand covering her mouth to stifle her shocked laughter.

"I think it is time to get you ladies home." Elijah said quietly as he helped Katherine to her feet, Klaus handing him one of the jackets that was on the barstool next to Caroline, he himself helping Caroline with her jacket and scarf as he dodged her attempts at trying to make out with him. Katherine stood passively in front of Elijah as he helped her with her jacket her dark eyes never leaving his face. Once they were appropriately attired Klaus and Elijah guided the girls out front where Glenn was waiting for them, holding open the back door of the Range Rover. At some point Klaus had called for the car to take the girls home.

Elijah gave a soft smile to Katherine as he pressed another kiss against the back of her hand. "Hopefully we will meet again." Before Katherine could respond Caroline pushed her into the back seat wanting to get out of the cold, a muffled "Bitch!" floating out from inside the car as Katherine pulled herself onto the seat and scooted to the far end of the back seat. Caroline's hand curling around Klaus's as she dragged him inside with her as she entered the SUV. The door shut with a slam, Klaus glancing outside the window at his brother just watching them pull away, his hands stuffed in his pockets and an amused smirk touching his handsome face.

Klaus had decided to see them home, as he did not trust the drunken girls to actually go inside into Caroline's flat once they were dropped off, afraid they would wander off to another bar and the last thing he needed was them to end up at the hospital with alcohol poisoning.

He could have had one of his men do it, but he didn't trust anyone with Caroline other than himself. He could feel his blood start to boil at the thought of another man trying to touch his girl. These bouts of jealousy would give him pause from time to time. Bringing up questions he didn't want to know the answer to. Let alone why he was asking such questions in the first place. Wasn't he going to leave her once he slept with her? So what did it matter if someone else touched her even if it was just to help her? Yet as soon as those questions crossed his mind, all he could think about was tearing into the man who would touch what was his.

His messy thoughts were pushed away once they arrived at Caroline's building. The ride had been fairly quiet; the two girls had occupied themselves by swaying from side to side softly singing some song about disco sticks.

It was easy enough to get the girls inside surprisingly, because leading drunks around was a lot like herding cats. Once they hit the door Katherine quickly pulled off her boots and jacket, once the offending items were off she dropped face first into the couch and passed out almost instantaneously. Caroline on the other hand was more interested in Klaus than actually settling in for the night, becoming overly affectionate as she tried to kiss and touch Klaus as he assisted her with taking off her coat and shoes. Klaus tried to ignore her advances for the most part, only pausing to return a soft kiss here and there.

It was when he suddenly felt Caroline's hand down his pants did he gave a startled grunt and quickly pulled her hand out, quickly backing away from her until his back hit the door with a loud thump causing Caroline to giggle drunkenly at his antics before she approached him again, her hands sliding up and down his chest as she leaned up to whisper against his lips. "Leeet's haave seeeex."

A faint smirk touched his lips at her request and he just shook his head. "As much as I would love to, you are too drunk, sweetheart. Maybe when you sober up." Klaus said gently as he took a hold of her roaming hands used them to lead her over to her bed, throwing back the covers and helping her lay down.

Caroline pouted at him as she snuggled under the covers. "Nnnot wven a littttle bit of seex?" Caroline asked, giving him her best puppy dog look. Klaus just chuckled and leaned down to pull the blanket higher over her shoulders and press a soft kiss against her forehead. "Go to sleep, love."

Klaus stayed until she fell asleep, which wasn't very long after her head hit the pillow. With a sigh he turned on his heel and left the flat, glancing at Katherine who had somehow managed to pull the blanket that was over the back of the couch on top of her. It amused him to no end that someone like her had managed to catch his older brother's interest.

Taking the spare key that hung on the key rack he closed the door and locked it behind him, not willing to risk leaving her door unlocked. It was London after all and he knew just how dangerous it could be.

* * *

The next morning was not pretty for Caroline or Katherine. Both of them taking turns to puke in the toilet, whichever one was not puking would hold the hair back of the one who was. They spent most of the day recovering from their drunken shenanigans, laying on the couch drinking water and eating greasy takeout food to settle their stomachs. Klaus had even texted Caroline to make sure that she was ok, and even asked about Katherine, although Caroline was pretty sure the only reason he was asking was because of Elijah.

Once they managed to get over their hangover from hell they spend the rest of the week doing touristy stuff, visiting all the big sites, eating English breakfasts and fish and chips, shopping, clubbing and everything else Caroline could fit in. Katherine shouldn't have been surprised that Caroline had scheduled their itinerary to within an inch of her life. Katherine should have known that Caroline was lying through her teeth when she had told Katherine that she would get to choose what they would do during her visit to London, there was no way in hell her neurotic friend would ever give up control like that.

Caroline was glad to have Katherine in London with her for a little while. It helped her forget about the whole crime syndicate that Klaus and Stefan were a part of and she could pretend that everything was normal. There were times that they were together that Caroline would almost tell her about what Klaus and Stefan really did, but would always catch herself. The less Katherine knew the better. It was probably safer that way as well.

They finally did have a free night, two days before Katherine was scheduled to catch her flight home. Katherine was hoping to see Elijah again so she talked Caroline into going back to her Klaus's bar. Caroline smirked as she watched Katherine take extra care while getting ready that evening. Katherine had chosen a sleeveless blood red cowl neck top that gave the viewer a peek at her black lacy bra if she happened to move the right way. Her skinny dark blue jeans were almost indecent with how tight they were, Caroline wasn't sure how she even managed to get into them without painting them on and suede dark purple heels completed her look. Elijah wasn't going to know what hit him.

Caroline herself had decided on something a little more low key, a dark green scoop neck t-shirt that displayed how good of a job her push-up bra was doing. Her skinny jeans hung low enough off her hips that she would flash a little bit of the skin of her stomach anytime she lifted her arms. Her favorite yellow flats and gray cardigan added to the ensemble for comfort.

Once the girls were ready they threw on their jackets and went out to the Range Rover that waited for them out font, Caroline having learned her lesson that Katherine was not overly impressed with subway systems when she could be driven around in a very expensive SUV. During the ride over, Caroline had made sure to text Stefan again, warning him of their impending arrival. They had texted a few times while Katherine was in town; he was quiet for the most part, but seemed to be holding it together none the less. Carline had even texted Damon a few times just to reassure him about his brother, to which his responses were either bitingly sarcastic at best or derogatory towards Katherine, so nothing too surprising really.

They arrived at the bar soon enough, both girls climbing out of the back seat, Caroline reaching for Katherine's hand as she guided them towards the door. Just as Katherine was about to open it, it flew open revealing Stefan who was just on his way out the door. All three of them froze in place, Katherine and Stefan had their eyes locked on one another while Caroline just looked furtively between the two of them unsure of what to do.

It was when another patron moved to leave the bar that they all broke out of their trance and Stefan reached out to take Katherine arm and moved her and Caroline off the side of the building, a faint smile on his face as he looked from Caroline to Katherine. "Hey Caroline…. Kat….You're looking well."

Katherine face losing some of the hardness that it usually held and returned his faint smile with one of her own, her hand squeezing Caroline's as she spoke. "Thank you. So are you."

They both fell into an awkward silence after that, all of them looking at one another before Stefan finally gave a slight cough and tilted his head motioning to the street. "Well, I should get going."

Both girls gave a slight nod at that, and Stefan turned on his heel and started walking down the sidewalk. Katherine watched him leave, a battle of emotions flickering across her face before she came to some internal agreement.

"Stefan wait!" Katherine yelled as she released Caroline's hand and ran over to where Stefan had stopped and turned around to wait for her to come over to him. Katherine swallowing hard as she came to a stop before him, looking around the area for a moment before she found the courage to actually look him in the eye.

"Stefan, I just wanted to let you know I am sorry that I hurt you. I was a total bitch to you and I hope that one day you can forgive me." Katherine said as she paused for a moment and took a deep breath as she looked down at her feet for a moment before looking back up at him, guilt marring her lovely features. "I hope that we can one day be friends again."

Katherine fell into silence after that, her dark eyes never leaving Stefan's face as she watched a play of emotion pass over it. His head dropped for a moment, looking at the ground as he shoved his hands into his pockets, a quick breath taken before he looked up at Katherine, a small smile on his lips. "I would like that too."

Both of them seem to breathe a little easier, the weight on their shoulders a little lighter, their talk seeming to bring some kind of closer to the both of them. Stefan reached out to give her shoulder a gentle squeeze before turning around and walking away. Katherine's eyes closing as she took a deep breath, pleased with her apology and its outcome.

Turning herself around, Katherine made her way back to Caroline who stood waiting by the door, her hands stuffed in her jacket pockets, a soft loving look on her face as her best friend made her way back over to her. Not bothering to wait for Katherine to come to her, Caroline took the last few steps towards Katherine, her hands coming out of her pockets to pull her into a tight hug. Katherine's arms locking around her back as she hugged her even tighter.

"You ok?"

"Yeah." Katherine said as she pulled back to face her best friend, a happy little smile touching her red lips. "Yeah, I think things are going to be ok again."

Caroline returned the smile before glancing down the street at the retreating back of Stefan. She would catch up with him soon enough, for now she hoped that his meeting with Katherine would help him with his healing process.

"Come on, let's go inside." Katherine said as she looped her arm through Caroline's and made her way towards the front door of the bar, pulling it open and leading them both inside.

XxX

**So broke this chapter into two parts – the next one may take a little while to get out – I have to study for my series 63 license for work – so I am going to try and squeeze writing the second half of this chapter in. Key word is try. In the mean time – tell me what you thought about this chapter. Love it? Hate it? In case you didn't notice I have a soft spot for Elijah and Kat. ^_^**


	10. Kat Part 2

**A/N – Smut warning. Finally. Lamo. And it is graphic because that is how I roll. **

XxX

"Ms. Forbes?"

The voice caused Caroline to halt, forcing Katherine to almost trip over herself as her blonde companion came to a standstill. Caroline backed up from the entrance to look at the person who had called out to her and came face to face with Galen Vaughn, her shoulders immediately becoming tense as her brows furrowed with worry at the sight of him.

"A moment of your time, if I may?" He asked quietly, his eyes flickering meaningfully over Katherine for a moment before his eyes returned to hers.

"Of course Mr. Vaughn." Swallowing hard she turned to Katherine who was suspiciously watching the whole scene unfold before her. "I'll be right in Kat." Caroline said, giving her best friend a weak smile. Katherine of course didn't buy the act for a moment and knew something was going on, but wasn't going to push it in front of Vaughn. So she settled with giving Caroline a meaningful look that basically said _you are going to tell me everything once you are done. _

Katherine shot a hard glare at Vaughn before going through the bar door that she had been holding open leaving Caroline and Galen alone on the sidewalk. Galen lifted an arm inviting her to move further down the sidewalk and away from the entrance to the bar.

"I was very disappointed when I didn't hear back from you Ms. Forbes." Galen's accent was soft as he lifted his hand to his face, fingers lightly stroking his beard, his blue eyes flickering over her face thoughtfully.

Caroline stayed silent, her hands stuffed in the pockets of her red pea coat as she moved her eyes from his face to the street, watching the cars drive by. She felt the guilt wash over her, all the things he said to her making its way back to the forefront of her mind. Her boyfriend and best friend were criminals and not only that they also hurt people. They made enough of an impression to earn them nicknames on the street: The Wolf and The Ripper. At times she questioned herself on how she could look past all of that. With Stefan it wasn't much of a battle, he was almost like a brother to her and she would forgive him anything and do anything to keep him safe. And Klaus….. her heart fluttered at the thought of him. He meant so much to her now, she wanted to keep him just as safe as Stefan.

"I would ask you to reconsider, however I am under the impression that you have already told Mikaelson and Salvatore about my request."

Caroline brought her eyes back to his face and she gave him a slight nod to confirm his hunch. A sigh left Galen's lips as he slid his hands into his pockets, his head dropping down for a moment before looking back up at her. "You can still help us. Even if it is just keeping an eye on things."

"I think my silence was answer enough Mr. Vaughn. I'm not going to help you." Caroline said quietly but firmly, her blue eyes meeting his in effort to emphasize her words. Before Galen could speak again they were interrupted by another voice.

"Vaughn. Is there a reason you are in front of _my_ pub hassling _my_ girl?" Klaus said as he walked out from the shadow of the building, his handsome face hard as he moved to stand protectively in front Caroline, bringing him toe to toe with Galen.

"Just having a chat with Ms. Forbes. It is nothing that concerns you." Galen said, his voice taking on a rough edge as he glared at Klaus, not the least bit intimidated by the man.

"Anything having to do with my girl concerns me. Caroline has nothing to say to you, so I would stay away from her from now on." Klaus's tone implying the threat that his words had danced around.

Caroline watched uneasily as the two men glared at each other, her eyes flickering over to the door of the bar hoping that there would be someone around to help her pull them apart if the two men came to blows.

"I believe Ms. Forbs can make her own decisions on who she talks to. " Galen taunted quietly, wanting to push Klaus enough to make him take a swing. Anything he could do to get Klaus arrested. Sure assaulting a police officer wouldn't carry as much of a punishment as what they had been trying to take him down for, but anything to get Klaus behind bars, even if it was only for a little while was worth it.

"And I would appreciate it if you both didn't act like I wasn't here. I can speak for myself." Caroline snapped at the both of them, wanting to roll her eyes at their macho bullshit, Klaus and Galen's conversation replacing her worry over their altercation with indignant anger at them trying to speak for her as if she was some helpless maiden. Stepping up to the two men she took Klaus's arm and pulled him a few steps away from Galen and he moved back with her willingly, yet both men refused to break eye contact.

"Mr. Vaughn, you have my answer." Caroline said, finally drawing Galen's angry gaze from Klaus to her.

"I hope you know what kind of a monster you're with Ms. Forbes."

Caroline squeezed Klaus's arm as she felt him start to move forward, his hands curled into fists, a soft growl emanating from his chest as he locked his gaze once more with Galen. Galen held his gaze for a moment, hoping that he would shake Caroline off and come at him, but Klaus didn't move out of Caroline's grip. Galen broke his look with Klaus to meet Caroline's eyes once more before he turned around and walked away.

She could feel Klaus's muscles start to relax under her hand that gripped his arm once Galen was out of sight. A soft breath she had not realized she had been holding released through her pink lips as she looked up from the corner that Galen had turned on to, before looking at Klaus. He was still watching the corner, as if he expected Galen to turn around and come back. Once he was satisfied that Galen wouldn't be coming back he finally turned his gaze to Caroline.

The hard look on his face softening as he lifted a hand to tuck a stray curl behind her ear, his fingertips lightly grazing her cheek as his hand fell back to his side. "Thank you, love."

Caroline gave him a confused look at his gratitude and tilted her head slightly to the side. "Why are you thanking me?"

"For your loyalty and for keeping me from knocking that tosser's head off." Klaus said with a smirk. It had pleased him to no end when he had stood in the shadows and listened to her turn down Galen's offer to betray them. He knew it was mostly for Stefan but he hoped a little bit of the reason was that she was loyal to him. She had already had admitted that she would stay with him despite who he was, and he took it for what it was worth.

Caroline just gave him a little smile before curling her arms around his neck and pressing a soft kiss against his lips. His hands lifted to hold her hips as he returned the kiss gently before they broke apart, his forehead resting against hers as they gazed into each other's eyes.

His thanks had kept the moment from being awkward, he knew she was still very uncomfortable with knowing what he did and he had made sure to take things a little slower with her, allowing her to set the pace of things, not wanting to push her. It had only been a few weeks since she had found out and he thought she was handling it pretty well. Of course knowing and seeing were two different things, he wouldn't know if she would still want to be with him if she actually saw what he did, which is why he was doing everything in his power to keep her from seeing that side of his life.

"Let me know if he bothers you again." He murmured quietly against her lips before pulling away and taking her hand in his and leading her into his pub.

Caroline gave a slight nod and laced her fingers with his own, her bright eyes flickering over him for a moment, a small smile as she found him in his normal uniform of jeans and a dark Henley that was open at the neck, his necklaces just peeking out.

"How did you know I was out here?" Caroline asked curiously as he held the door open for her as she went inside, Klaus following closely behind her.

"When your friend came in without you I got a little worried. I asked her where you were and she said you were outside talking to Vaughn." His voice becoming a little rougher at the mention of Vaughn, Klaus had been livid when Katherine had told him who Caroline was talk to outside, he had been ready to rip the man's head off for daring to approaching Caroline again.

Caroline gave him a slight smile and his hand a gentle squeeze before she pulled her eyes away from him and looked around the bar for Katherine. It didn't take her long to spot her, she was sitting at a table with Elijah and Kol. Elijah and Katherine were currently laughing at some story that Kol was telling, his hands and face wildly animated as if to illustrate his story with his gestures.

Caroline and Klaus joined them at the table, Klaus helping her with her jacket before pulling out her chair and making sure she was settled before he pulled one out next to her and sat down. Katherine looked at the both of them with a raised brow before giving Caroline a pointed look. Caroline just gave her a nod, letting her know that she understood that she was going to have to tell her everything once they were alone. Katherine had been even more intrigued with who Vaughn was when she saw how angry Klaus had gotten when she told him who Caroline was talking to outside the bar.

Their drinks were at the table by the time Kol had finished his story almost everyone in tears from laughing so hard. They all shared a round of shots before Katherine turned her attention to Elijah. "So do you normally wear a suit to a bar?" She teased playfully, her dark eyes flickering over the dark suit he was wearing as she leaning forward in her chair, her elbow resting on the arm as she held her chin in the palm of her hand. A faint smirk touched her lips as she watched Elijah gaze flicker down for a moment to take a quick peek at black lacy bra that was visible because of the way she was sitting, the red cowl neck doing its intended job for the evening. Caroline could only roll her eyes, she knew exactly what Katherine was doing, she was on the hunt and no man ever survived. She almost felt sorry for Elijah.

"Darling, he was born in a suit. Instead of never nude he is never without a suit." Kol said with a laugh, leaning up to slap Elijah playfully on the back which earned him a glare from the older Mikaelson. "Do you even take off your suit when you take girls home or do you just pull down the zipper?" Kol asked, leaning back as he interlaced his fingers together and lifted them to rest behind his head, his eyebrows lifting up and down as if he honestly expected a serious answer from his brother.

"Control yourself Kol, there are ladies present." Elijah said with force as he gave an apologetic look to Caroline and Katherine. Both girls had smiles on their faces at Kol's teasing, he was too silly for either of them to ever take offence at anything he said. Klaus just smirked as he stretched his arm across the back of Caroline's chair, his fingers playing absently with her hair as he was happy to just sit back and observe the group.

Looking to change the subject Elijah turned to Katherine as he played with the tumbler of scotch in his hands absently. "Where does your family hail from?"

"My mother is from Bulgaria and my dad is American. Although I think his ancestors are like English or something." Katherine said with a shrug of her shoulder, her eyes still leveled on Elijah's face.

"So is it true what they say about Eastern European women?" Kol asked, pulling Katherine's attention away from Elijah to him.

"Is what true?" Caroline asked as she tiled her head with curiosity.

"That they are all extremely hairy." Kol answered Caroline, looking at her for a moment before his playful brown eyes met Katherine's. "If it's true, then I bet you have use a hedge trimmer to keep that bush between your legs maintained if your hair is any indication how hairy you are." Kol said gesturing to Katherine's thick curly hair.

Elijah leaned forward and smacked Kol upside his head, followed by another smack which Klaus delivered.

"Ow!" Kol yelped as he lifted a hand to rub the spot that Klaus and Elijah had both hit, his older brothers glaring at him, their look giving warning that if he kept it up they were prepared to do worse than just smack him upside the head.

"Please forgive my brother's antics, I'm afraid he is very much lacking in manners." Elijah said with a sigh, looking disappointed at his younger brother's behavior.

Katherine just rolled her eyes at Kol comment, not the least bit offended simply for the fact that she could be just as crude as Kol, which Caroline had witnessed firsthand and had more than once been the recipient of such behavior. It was all part of being best friends with Katherine Pierce. Caroline was a little bit embarrassed by Kol's comment but she was also amused by the whole conversation and decided to have a little more fun at Katherine's expense knowing just how to rile her up.

"Katherine is so Bulgarian that her real name is Katerina." Caroline supplied mischievously her blue eyes gleaming as she met Katherine's angry gaze.

"Damn it Caroline. You know I hate that name." Katherine growled as she crossed her arms like a petulant child. It had been hard enough growing up in a small town, her mother had only made things worse by giving her a unique name like Katerina. The kids had teased her to the point that she had decided to start going by the English translation of her name Katherine.

"Katerina. Beautiful name for a beautiful woman." Elijah said as he lifted her hand to press a soft kiss against the back of it. Katherine felt her cheeks heat up at his compliment. As much as she hated her name, it sounded so hot when Elijah said it.

"Thank you." She murmured quietly almost shy at the compliment, which was a first for Katherine Pierce. Caroline couldn't help the grin that split across her face.

"How much longer are you in town for?" Elijah asked curiously, completely enraptured by the specimen of beauty before him.

"I fly back to New York the day after tomorrow."

"Then please allow me the privilege of escorting you to dinner this evening, if the lovely Caroline can spare you for the night." Elijah looked to Caroline, as if asking for her approval, which Caroline graced him with a sweet smile which he took as a yes, and then he turned to look at Katherine waiting for her answer.

"Sure." Katherine said as she turned to look at Caroline, her eyebrows lifting as a smug smile pulled at her lips as she pushed herself out of her chair, Elijah following suit behind her.

"Nik, do you still have my spare key?" Caroline asked Klaus as she turned to face him, a faint smile touching her lips as she was completely amused by the relationship developing between Elijah and Katherine. Klaus dug in his pants pocket and produced a small keychain with a silver key hanging from his fingertips. Taking the key in her hand she stood up and gave it to Katherine, pressing it into the palm as she leaned in to whisper in her ear. "In case you actually make it back to my place tonight." Caroline's mischievous smile back in place as she looked between Elijah and Katherine.

Katherine just lifted her eyebrows and gave her a smirk as she leaned forward and murmured into Caroline's ear. "Like I need it." Pressing a kiss to her friend's cheek she pulled away, taking her coat and slipping into it, tucking the key into her pocket before she took Elijah's arm as he escorted her outside.

"Well there goes my entertainment for the evening." Kol muttered as he slid out of his seat and moved through the bar on the hunt for a beautiful distraction leaving Caroline and Klaus alone at the table.

Klaus stood up and wrapped his arms around Caroline, pressing a soft kiss against her neck, nipping at the soft flesh before he felt her turn around to face him. Her slender arms lifting to rest loosely around his neck, her face lifting to his to press soft kisses against his mouth which he was more than happy to return eagerly.

Once Caroline broke their kiss, she smiled up at him almost shyly, her hand lifting to caress the stubble of his cheek. "Want to come back to my place for a little while? Katherine won't be back for a few hours. Maybe even not until tomorrow morning if she has her way with your brother."

"How can I refuse? I have barely seen you all week." He said quietly against her ear, his raspberry lips holding an almost permanent smirk as he pressed a kiss against the side of her cheek, the feel of his lips and stubble against her skin sending a shiver down her spine.

The train ride to her flat was quick, Caroline surprised that he was even actually taking the train given that in all their time together he never once traveled without his SUV. Apparently he had not wanted to wait around for another car to be brought around since Elijah took the one that had brought the three brothers to the pub so that he could take Katherine out to dinner.

Her lips were on his the moment she shut and locked her front door. Fingers tugging at the buttons of his jacket as she tried to remove the offending piece of clothing. Klaus wasn't one to argue, his hands following suit on her jacket, pulling it off her shoulders along with her cardigan, leaving it lying in a heap at their feet, his jacket quickly falling down to join the pile along with their shoes. His hands grazed over the newly exposed bare skin of her arms, reveling in its softness, his touch eliciting a soft moan from Caroline.

Klaus tongue slid into her mouth the moment her lips parted, sweeping across her own as he slid his hands to her hips, finding the edge of her shit and ducking his hands beneath it, loving the feel of her smooth flat stomach before raising his hands higher to skim the undersides of her breasts.

Caroline's body was absolutely aching at his touch, soft sighs and muffled moans caught in his mouth as he continued to kiss her with a heated passion that left her in no doubt about how much he wanted her. They finally broke the kiss, each one gasping for air before Klaus's mouth was suddenly on her neck. The force of his kisses sending her back against the front door, her fingers raking through his curls as his lips moved lower, taking full advantage of the scoop t-shirt she was wearing. A shameless moan escaping her lips as his tongue and lips tasted the skin of her breasts that was currently on display before he tugged the shirt down a little farther to expose more of the delightful mounds.

With a soft growl she pushed him off of her and pulled her shirt up and over her head and tossed it to the side, leaving her in just her jeans and a pink lacy pushup bra. Once it was off she moved to him and pulled his shirt off as well. Her dark eyes greedily raking over his toned chest, her hands ghosting over his necklaces for a moment before her hands came to trace the trail of feather and birds tattoo across his shoulder and collarbone with her lips following the same path as her fingers, a groan emanating from Klaus at the feel of her soft little mouth against his skin.

His hands slid down and up the curve of her spine, slowing once he reached the clasp of her bra. Lifting his head he pulled back a little bit to meet Caroline's eyes that were hooded with lust and want. That look alone almost sent him to his knees, and yet he managed to hold on, needed to get out what needed to be asked.

"Are you sure about this, sweetheart?" Half of him kicking himself for even asking the damn question, because he was giving her a chance to stop something he had wanted for months. The other half wanted to make sure she really wanted this, because it would mean she was truly invested in their relationship which meant that she actually cared about him. He didn't want to know why it was important to him that she cared about him. Again it was part of something he didn't even want to say was feelings, but it was part of something that kept creeping into his chest that he refused to acknowledge.

These thoughts and feelings made him weak and he was not weak. So he pushed them away, angry that he had let them get in the way enough to risk her saying no to this, to what they had been dancing around for months. So he looked down at his girl and prayed she was going to say yes.

Was she sure she wanted this? Yes. Caroline had decided weeks ago that she wanted to take the next step of their relationship and then Vaughn had happened. Making her rethink the relationship period, but she had come to terms with what he was and accepted it. She knew all sides of him now and wanted to consummate their relationship.

"I'm sure." She said was a sweet smile, it made her love him that much more that he was willing to stop this if she wasn't ready for it. Love. She had been slowly coming to terms with the fact that she was in love with him, which was probably why she was able to see past his dark side and accept him for who he was. Although she had never truly seen his dark side she gave him the benefit of the doubt, because she could see the good in him when he was with her. She could see his kindness and caring that he never showed to anyone else but her. She would be lying if she said it didn't make her feel special.

Her answer was all that he needed; crushing her mouth against his own he kissed her with a fever that left the both of them shaking. His fingers deftly pinched the clasp of her bra, releasing its hold on the bounty of her breasts, throwing the pink lacy lingerie to the side his hands went to her bottom to lift her up against the door, her legs automatically lifting to wrap around his hips, her arms curling around his neck as he dipped his head to capture one of her nipples in his mouth.

Caroline arched against him, her core pressing against the hardening length, the two separated by the rough material of their jeans which only added to their desire. She could feel him groan in delight against her breast, the sensation sending a shudder through her body before he switched sides, giving her other breast the same attention and affection.

Not wanting to take Caroline against the door, he stepped back, her slender body held securely against him, her own hands sliding over the flexed muscles of his arms, as she leaned down to nibble at the skin of his throat as they moved the short distance in her little studio flat from the front door to her bed. Caroline gave a soft squeak as she found herself dropped on top of her bed, her body bouncing a few times before settling.

Before she could give him an annoyed huff he was on top of her, his lips, teeth and tongue attacking every inch of skin exposed to him, slowly making his way down her stomach, his fingers flicking open the buttons of her jeans and tugging them down and off, the little scrap of pink lace that passed for underwear quickly following suit.

Klaus took a moment to sit up and look over her, her blonde curls fanned out over the pillow, her luscious body curving in all the right places, her porcelain skin flushed with desire. His breath shuttered at the beauty before him. "You're absolutely glorious, Caroline."

Caroline lost her breath at the look he gave her, his eyes were dark with a promise of sensual delights that had heat pooling at her center making her more than ready for him. Crawling onto the bed, he started at her ankles, pressing a trail of soft kisses up her legs until he reached the center of her thighs, callused fingers easing her legs apart as he settled himself between him. He smirked at the shy but heated look that graced Caroline's lovely face once she realized what he was doing.

He could smell her arousal; see it glistening on the lips of her center. Leaning down he dragged his tongue across her slit, pausing to tease her clit for a moment before returning to lazily lap at her juices. Caroline almost shot off the bed at the sensation of his mouth and the scrape of his stubble against her skin, his hands automatically moving to her hips keeping her firmly planted onto the bed.

As his mouth worked on her, he slid one hand from her to hip to the rounded flesh of her thigh, taking it in hand to lift her leg up and over his broad shoulder, opening her further to his ministrations. His mouth feasted on her, the flick of his tongue and nips of his teeth drawing moans of delight from Caroline as she knotted her fingers in his hair, needed something to hold onto as he wound her up, building the pressure of her release.

He devoured her, her hips mimicking the movement of his tongue it thrust in and out of her. Giving a gentle caress of her thigh, he skimmed his hand along her sensitive skin of her leg he had been holding over his shoulder to brush his fingers lightly and repeatedly against her clit, her little body jerking each time he touched her there.

"Nik. Please." Caroline begged softly, her body quaking with the need of her release. She could almost feel him smirking against her core before he covered her with his mouth, sliding his tongue inside of her once more before taking her clit between his lips and circling the little button with his tongue. It was all that it took to make her shatter, her body exploding with waves of pleasure, a strangled "Nik!" on her lips as her small body shook from the feeling of her orgasm racing through her. God she was glad at how right she was in thinking of all the amazing things Klaus could do with his mouth, fuck it felt good.

Klaus sat up, watching her face as the waves of pleasure washed through her, reveling in the fact that it was him who did this to her. Pushing himself off the bed he pulled off his jeans and boxers, allowing his erection to spring free, as Caroline came down from her orgasm she managed to become somewhat coherent enough to observe the gorgeous male specimen before her that was Klaus.

He wasn't kidding when he had said his ego wasn't the only thing that was big; it sure as hell explained his cockiness. Klaus smirked as he took in the expressions the flittered across her face before he crawled back to the bed and settled his weight on top of her easing himself between her thighs, her hands lifting to rest against the breath of his shoulders.

Dipping his head down he captured her lips with his own, deepening the kiss almost instantly, it felt so carnal the fact that she could taste herself on his lips. His hands wandered over her body, cupping the fullness of her breasts, tugging at her nipples starting to slowly building up her need for him. He wanted her begging for him to be inside of her when he finally took her. The feel of his necklaces scraping against her chest adding to the delightful sensation that his hands and lips that were currently creating.

"HOLY SHIT!"

The light flicking on and the exclamation of surprise broke the two of them from their embrace, Caroline's head shooting up to look over Klaus's shoulder and gasped as she found Katherine standing by the front door gaping at the two of them. They had been so occupied with one another they had not even heard the door open. And given that her flat was basically a studio, Katherine had an unobstructed view of the two of them on the bed the moment she walked through the door.

"Oh my God! Kat!" Caroline all but screamed as she frantically pulled herself out from under Klaus and grabbed at the blanket to cover herself, but since they were sitting on top of them, it proved fruitless so she settled for a pillow to cover her modesty.

Once Caroline was out from under him he just fell face first into the bed. "Bloody fucking hell." Klaus muttered into the bed as he just lay there, not even bothering to cover himself up as he was absolutely incredulous at the current turn of events. He was _right there_ and her sodding friend had to walk through the door. Talk about cock blocking.

"What the hell are you even doing here?!" Caroline gasped, her face bright red with embarrassment at her best friend catching her not only naked but also in the middle of freaking sex with her boyfriend.

"Elijah got called into work, so he dropped me back off here." Katherine said with amusement, the shock of catching Klaus and Caroline in the act had worn off and she was now taking great delight in their predicament. Katherine's dark eyes moving from Caroline who was hugging her pillow tightly against her body to Klaus who was still laying face down on the bed, giving her an unobstructed view of his body so she could gaze appreciatively at his fine backside that was on display.

Caroline followed the movement of Katherine's eyes and gasped with indignation when she realized what she was looking at. With a growl she grabbed another pillow and covered Klaus's ass, which she had to admit was magnificent, all the while glaring at her best friend. "Stop ogling my boyfriend!"

Katherine just smirked and lifted her shoulder. "What? He has a nice ass."

Klaus just raised his arm, two fingers lifting as he gave her a mock salute for the compliment, before he let it fall back to his side, still not bothering to raise his face from the bed.

"Katherine, get out! Go wait in the hallway while we get dressed."

Katherine just smirked once more before she turned around, walking back out into the hallway and shutting the door behind her.

"Oh my God. I can't believe that just happened." Caroline groaned as she hugged her knees to her chest and rested her forehead against them. "How the hell am I going to be able to look her in the eye again? God, she is going to hold this over me for the rest of my life." Field day did not even come close to what Katherine had in store for Caroline once she got her alone. She would beg Klaus to stay if it meant it would stave off Katherine but she knew it would only make it worse to have both guilty parties to tease instead of just one.

It was at this point Klaus finally pulled himself up to a sitting position on the bed, resigned to the fact that they would be going no further tonight. Stormy eyes flicked over his almost lover for a moment, enjoying the sight of her naked little body in the light. The thought of taking her directly to his place to finish what they started crossed his mind but he knew the moment was over giving the despair that was written all over Caroline's face and the fact that she would not leave her friend alone for the evening.

With a quiet sigh he gathered her into his arms and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "At least she will be flying out in a few days, love." He reassured her as well as he could. His statement also had the benefit of reassuring him as well, because once Katherine was gone there would be no one to interrupt them next time.

Caroline lifted her head from her knees to look up at Klaus, a soft frown touching her lips as she lifted a hand to caress his face. "Yeah, but she still has my phone number."

Klaus tried to give her a nod of empathy, but its sincerity was ruined with the amused smile that touched his face. Caroline caught the look and her worried frown turned into a glare as she pulled away from him and flounced off the bed, Klaus made sure to enjoy the view as she hunted around the room for her clothing, slipping them on as she found them.

Reluctantly Klaus rolled off of the bed and quickly dressed himself, before firing off a quick text to his driver to come and pick him up. Caroline pushed her shoes to the side of the door with her foot, picked up her coat and hung it up before picking up his coat and holding it out to him. Sliding his arms into his jacket he jerked it over his shoulders, buttoning it up quickly before he turned to face his girl. Caroline moved into his arms easily, her hands cupping his face as she pressed a soft lingering kiss against his lips. "I'm sorry about tonight."

Klaus pulled back and just smirked, kissing her once more before speaking. "Not to worry, love. There is always next time." Giving her a wicked grin he let her go and pulled open the door, revealing a bored looking Katherine leaning against the hall wall.

"Finally. I thought you guys were finishing what you started you guys took so fucking long. Pun intended." Katherine quipped as she moved past the both of them into the flat and making herself comfortable.

Caroline just rolled her eyes and gave another quick kiss of goodbye to Klaus before he turned to leave and Caroline went back inside and shut and locked the front door leaving her to the diabolical attention of her best friend.

They spent the rest of the night talking, Caroline taking Katherine's teasing about being caught _in flagrante delicto_ as well as she could with a lot of help with her stash of tequila that the two of them shared. Caroline had also managed to explain the whole Vaughn thing without giving too much away, just stating that he was a police officer who thought that Klaus's company was not exactly on the up and up and wanted Caroline's help. The closer that Caroline was to the truth the better, because Katherine could always tell when she was lying. Katherine of course found the tale hilarious as she couldn't imagine someone as straight laced as Elijah being part of a company that did illegal things.

The rest of Katherine's trip managed to be uneventful and Caroline actually managed to send her safely back to New York. Caroline was pretty pleased with how the past week had turned out. She had spent quality time with her best friend who she had not seen in months, Katherine and Stefan had made tentative steps to reconciling their friendship and she pretty much confirmed that her boyfriend was a sex god in bed. Other than having to deal with Damon, her life was looking pretty good.

XxX

**Well that was the first time I have ever wrote smut – so please let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcome. How do you feel the story is coming along? Anything not flowing well? What do you like about it? Sorry if I am being super needy and getting all English lit class homework on you, but I am just not sure how well the overall story arch is being received so any feedback from you would be greatly appreciated. **


	11. Fun

**A/N - Thank you so much for your reviews, I appreciate it greatly. And thank you to the ladies that continue to review each and every chapter that I put up. Love you! (If some of you are dudes, you are totally cool too.) Your follows and favorites make me blush! **

XxX

"_So did you finally fuck your hot boyfriend yet?"_

"Oh my God, Kat. Are you even out of the airport yet?" Caroline sighed as she glanced at the clock, noting the time that Katherine would have just landed back in New York.

"_I'm not even off the plane yet."_

Caroline just shook her head and ran a hand over her face, as she tried to contemplate her friend's mental state. And Katherine called her the neurotic one.

"So is this phone call to let me know you got home safe or is your main concern my sex life with my boyfriend? Considering that you didn't even wait to get home before you called me."

"_Your sex life. Because if NIk has a big dick and is good in bed that means Elijah is probably the same because they are brothers. That means I will have to make another trip to visit you."_

"You mean visit Elijah."

"_Yep."_ Katherine said popping the p. _"I just want to get a hold of him and ruffle his perfect little feathers."_

Caroline just rolled her eyes and fell onto her bed. Her mind wandering to the ecstasy she had experience at the hands of one Niklaus Mikaelson in the very bed she was laying on. She too was surprised that she had not ended up at his door the moment Katharine was safely delivered to the airport.

"_Earth to Caroline."_

"What? Oh, sorry. What did you say?" Caroline shook her head as she pulled her thoughts away from Klaus and back to the conversation at hand.

"_So did you fuck him yet or not?"_

"No. Not yet. I will let you know the moment I do." Caroline said as she rolled her eyes once more, sarcasm evident in her voice.

"_An update during would be good."_ Katherine teased playfully.

Caroline laughed as she played along. "Oh Nik! Fuck me harder while I make this phone call real quick."

Both girls dissolved into laughter.

"Text me when you get home."

"_Will do."_

"Miss you already BFF."

"_Of course you do."_

Caroline just rolled her eyes once more, pausing to wonder if she could roll her eyes out of her head alone while talking with Katherine.

"Bye"

"_Mwah"_ Katherine kissed into the phone.

The moment she hung up the phone, the screen lit up with another phone call. Damon flashing across the screen as the phone buzzed. Caroline groaned as she hit accept and lifted the phone to her ear.

"Hi Damon."

"_Hello Barbie. It's been a while since we last talked. Did you miss me?"_

"No."

"_Denial isn't just a river in Egypt blondie."_

"Can you get any cornier?"

"_When the mood strikes me. Do you need me to feed you some corny lines to nourish that romanced addled brain of yours? Are you feeling unloved Barbie? Is Ken not giving you what you need?"_

Caroline slung an arm over her eyes and groaned.

"_Didn't know I was turning you on Barbie. I am game for phone sex if you are, you kinky girl."_

"Shut up!"

"_Ooooh, Dominatrix Barbie. I like it. Just be gentle with me, it's my first time."_

Caroline just groaned again and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Damon, please just tell me what you want."

"_Well if you could send me a picture of you in a black latex body suit it would help me better visualize your S&M side."_

"Damon, I am about five seconds away from hanging up on you."

"_I love it when you take control Mistress Barbie."_

"I mean it Damon."

"_Yeah yeah yeah. You should show this dominatrix side to Ken. Maybe then you wouldn't be throwing yourself at me. Anyway – Stefan still isn't talking to me."_

Caroline sighed, she should have known this was the reason he was calling her, although Damon did have his moments where he would call her strictly to harass her from time to time.

"Kat has only been out of the country for like 12 hours. Give him time."

"_Then he should have talked to me 11 hours ago. Nothing ever good happens when she bitch is involved."_

"She has a name you know."

"_Yes, her name is she bitch. Describes her perfectly I might add."_

Caroline huffed softly into the phone and chose to ignore his comment and just continued on with the conversation. "I am going to see Stefan today. I will talk to him and tell him to call you."

"_Make him call me. Get his phone, dial my number and hand it to him."_

Caroline sighed as she brought her fingers to her temple and tried to ease some of the tension she felt. "You know if you had just stayed away from Kat you wouldn't be in this predicament."

"_Preaching to the choir blondie."_

Caroline took a deep breath and sat up on her bed, her fingers falling from her head to absently play with the hem of her shirt. "I'll make sure he calls you." She said softly.

"_Thanks Barbie."_

Caroline could hear the sincerity in his voice, this was one of the rare times he actually let his true feelings shine through. "You're welcome."

* * *

"Hey Care." Stefan said with a warm smile on his face as he opened the door to his place, one hand stuck in his jeans pocket while the other held the door open.

"Hey Stef." Caroline returned the smile with one of her own, although hers was tinged with worry as she gave him a quick one over as if checking to make sure he was alright, _did he look a little thin? _

"Come on in." He said opening the door wider, Caroline stepped forward taking the invitation, but instead of walking straight through the door she just moved to stand next to him and pulled him into a hug. Stefan's arms were around her almost instantly, gently rubbing her back.

"Are you ok?" Caroline's voice was laced with concern, making Stefan smile all the more, truly touched at how much his friend cared about him.

"I am getting there. It will take time, but I am getting there." Caroline pulled back to look at him, searching his face to make sure that he was indeed telling her the truth. Finding there was no trace of dishonesty on his handsome face she gave him a tentative nod and let him go, moving to sit on the couch.

Stefan just smiled as he shut the door and moved to the sideboard table that was against the far wall that was topped with decanters of liquor. Pulling out two tumblers, he poured amber liquor into each cup and set the decanter down. Taking the two glasses he moved to sit on the couch next to her, handing her one of the glasses.

Caroline arched a brow at the liquor, given that it was only 3pm and he wanted to start drinking, but what the hell. She took a cautious sip of the liquor and wrinkled her nose at the taste.

"Is there a reason you keep giving me scotch every time I come and visit?"

"It is an acquired taste and I am just trying to help you acquire it." Stefan smirked as he took a healthy swallow of the drink in question.

"How about helping me acquire the taste of expensive tequila? Now that I would enjoy." Caroline smiled as she set down her glass, her hands moving to her lap as she glanced over her friend once more the worried look back on her lovely face.

Stefan caught the look and pressed his lip together, a heavy sigh breathed through his nose as he set his own glass down on the table and took her hands in his.

"Honestly Caroline, I am going to be ok. I am in a much better place than I was before."

Caroline nodded and squeezed his hands for a moment, a look of guilt pulling at her features. "I know you are, I am just worried because Kat was here and you have stopped talking to Damon again and I just feel horrible if I am the one that has set you back because I had Kat come and visit. And I know I shouldn't have done that, with you here and all and it was stupid of –"

"Caroline. You're rambling." Stefan said with a small smile causing Caroline's cheeks to heat up with embarrassment, turning them into a lovely shade of pink.

"And you didn't set me back at all. Knowing Kat was here, I admit was a bit difficult at first, but when I saw her and she apologized to me, it felt good. I felt like I got a little bit of closure and I didn't even realize I had been waiting for it. It was a good thing." Stefan squeezed her hands as if to emphasize his point.

Caroline gave a hesitant nod, her eyes dropping to their clasped hands before looking up at him once more. "What about Damon?"

Stefan gave her a weary smile at the mention of his brother. "I just wanted to handle one person at a time, I couldn't really deal with talking to Damon knowing Kat was in town, but now that she is gone I will call him."

"Well it is going to be sooner rather than later. Damon made me promise that you would call him today. He has not stopped harassing me ever since you stopped talking to him." Caroline said with an annoyed huff, causing an amused smile to stretch across Stefan's face.

"It's not funny."

"Yes it is."

Caroline just grouched at him and released his hands and picked up her glass and took a huge sip, coughing a bit as the liquid burned its way down her throat. "See what Damon drives me to? Drinking horrible scotch because he is so freaking annoying I have to drink something to take the edge off."

They spent the rest of the afternoon talking and laughing about lighter subjects, Caroline feeling confident enough about her best friend's state of mind to not pursue the subject of Katherine and Damon. It was towards the end of her visit that Caroline asked for Stefan's cell phone.

"I hope you drank enough to handle this phone call." Caroline said with raised brows as she scrolled through Stefan's contacts and found Damon's number. Pressing the call button she silently handed the phone to Stefan who had a resigned yet relaxed look on his face as he took the cell phone and held it up to his ear.

Caroline gave him an encouraging smile and pulled herself up from the couch and made her way across the room to give them a little privacy, pulling out her cell phone to check for messages and smiled when she saw a text message from Klaus that had been sent only a few minutes ago.

_Are you free tonight, darling? – K_

_Yes – C_

_Pick you up around 7? – K_

_Sounds good. Casual or dressy? – C_

_Causal. See you soon. – K _

_K – C_

Caroline smirked down at her phone, wondering if they were even going to make it out of her flat when he came to pick her up. Stefan's hand on her arm startled her from her musings, a soft gasp escaping her lips as she jumped back, hands fumbling to keep from dropping her phone earning a soft chuckle from Stefan at her antics.

"Stefan Salvatore you scared the crap out of me!" Caroline screeched as she lifted her hand to whack him on the shoulder before letting her hand fall on her chest as if to calm her racing heart.

"Sorry Care. I didn't mean to." She could tell he meant it, but there was still that little up turn on the corner of his lips that said he did find it funny.

Caroline just glared at him for a moment, before speaking once more. "So how did the talk with Damon go?"

"Like talks with Damon normally go." His brows lifting as he shoved his hands in his pockets his lips pressing tightly together as if to convey the experience by expression alone.

"Par for the norm." Caroline shrugged as she tucked her phone into her back pocket. "Well I am just glad you two are talking again. Please make sure to do it on a regular basis, because talking to Damon more than once a month is not good for my mental health." Caroline said as she put her arms around Stefan and pulled him into a tight hug.

"I missed you best friend forever."

"Missed you too Care." Stefan said as he hugged her close, his eyes closing for a moment as he enjoyed doing something with his hands other than violence.

Caroline pulled back and gave him a bright smile. "Ok, well I have to get going. I have a hot date."

Stefan just gave a slight nod, pressing a soft kiss against her cheek before she pulled away from him completely. Her quick steps taking her to the front door where she scooped up her purse, turned to give him a quick wave and was out the door, shutting it behind her.

Stefan stared at the door for a moment, his mind slowly processing what they had talk about along with the feelings Caroline had brought out in him. He actually liked the fact that he was doing something other than hurting someone when he touched them.

He had told Caroline that it was almost impossible to walk away from the life style he was living, but could he really continue with what he was doing? Sure he enjoyed it when he had been The Ripper, but now all he felt was pain and regret.

Stefan closed his eyes for a moment as his brain became jumbled with thoughts, all of them almost becoming overwhelming. So he did what he normally did to bring his thoughts and feelings into focus, he wrote in his journal. Sitting down at the mahogany desk he pulled open his leather bound journal and picked up his pen, his hand moving as words started flowing easily onto the page.

He wrote for hours and only when he felt he had gotten every last idea, thought and feeling out of his head and onto paper did he threw his pen down and started to read over the words, in hopes that he could find a way to take back control over his life.

* * *

It didn't take Caroline too long to get ready, when Klaus said casual he really meant casual. So she was dressed simply in a purple and gray lace top with a dark blue cardigan, dark blue skinny jeans with her purple patent leather flats completing the look. She had made sure to put on her sexiest lacy bra and underwear set in case she was right that they would not even make it out the door of her flat. Her body was on a constant edge, wanting to finish what she had started with him a few nights ago and then some.

Pulling her thoughts out of the gutter she concentrated on pulling her hair up into a high pony tail and applied a minimal amount of makeup. She was just adding the final swipe of lip gloss when she heard the knocking at her front door. With a huge grin on her face she practically jogged to the front door, pulling it open and throwing her arms around…Kol?

Her face fell into a mask of confusion as she immediately released him and backed up. Kol just gave her a smirk and crossed his arms as he leaned against the doorway. "Is that how you greet all of your visitors darling, because if so I will have to make sure to drop by more often."

"Kol? What the hell are you doing here?" Her eyebrows still furrowed in confusion as she looked away from his face to scan the hallway in hopes to see Klaus close behind.

"We have a date remember?" Kol said, smirk still firmly in place.

"Ummm no, I have a date with Nik tonight."

"Well I sort of barrowed his phone, figured you would be more receptive to my invite thinking it was from my brother rather than from myself."

Caroline groaned and just buried her face in her hands, shaking her head in complete disbelief at what Kol had just managed to pull off.

"Come now darling, I'm not all bad. Besides, We are going someplace fun tonight, where my stick in the mud I'm too cultured for this brother wouldn't be caught dead at."

Now that caught her attention, letting her hands fall from her face she brought her gaze back to his, an eyebrow lifting up in question.

Kol just smiled and said one word: "Karaoke."

* * *

Caroline wasn't sure how Kol had managed to talk her into coming with him. The leading factors for her attendance at the Karaoke bar were the fact that she had nothing better to do and she loved to sing. She had made Kol promise that he wouldn't try any funny business on pain of she would knee his balls so hard he would never be able to have children. Again, Klaus was totally rubbing off on her and improving her ability to make very painful threats.

The karaoke bar was hopping, there were lots of people and it looked like everyone was having a great time. Three girls were currently on stage singing _Lady Marmalade _two of the three looking completely hammered out of their minds.

Kol lead her to a booth to the side of the stage, a handsome dark skin man sitting in the center of the booth, arms stretched out along the sides as he seemed to take in everything thing that was happening in the bar.

"Marcel! Good to see you saved us a booth, mate." Kol grinned as he leaned over to clasp the Marcel in a friendly handshake.

Marcel gave a slight nod, his eye trained on Caroline. "Of course. And who is your friend?"

Caroline was almost startled to hear an American accent out of the handsome man, but she recovered quickly with a small smile, her hand going out to his for a handshake. "Caroline."

"Ah a fellow yank. Nice to know I am not completely surrounded by red coats." He teased playfully, earning him a hard shove by Kol.

"This is Nik's girl. So be on your best behavior or he will tear out both of our livers." Kol warned before he moved towards the DJ booth collecting slips of paper, pens and a three ring notebook with all the songs that were available to sing. Caroline was almost touched at Kol's warning given that she was more concerned about him trying something with her rather than Marcel.

Caroline moved into the booth, sitting across from Marcel until Kol came back and she was forced to be sandwiched between the two of them. It was awkward at first but soon became comfortable as the three of them poured over the song collections, writing down the songs they wanted to do together and on their own.

They would pause from time to time to watch a group of drunk or exceedingly talented groups or individuals who would take the stage, at times the three of them joining with the singer to sing a song that was well known to the three of them, and more often times than not the whole bar.

Once they had their song choices down on paper Kol left to drop them off at the DJ booth before swinging around to the bar to pick them up shots and drinks, leaving Caroline and Marcel to bond over strange British terms like calling a trunk a boot and a flashlight a torch.

Once the drinks were on the table, a number of toasts were made, all them charging up on liquid courage to find the ability to sing in front of a whole room of strangers. Marcel was the first one of their group called. He gave a charming smile to Caroline making her roll her eyes as he slid out of the booth and took the stage.

There was a swagger to his frame as he took the microphone, pausing to give a confident sexy look to all of the ladies that caught his eye as the music started up.

Now there was time

When you loved me so

I could have been wrong

But now you need to know

See, I've been a bad, bad, bad, bad man

And I'm in deep, Yes I am

I found a brand new love for this man

And I can't wait till you see

I can't wait.

To say he was dynamic would be an understatement. He was a natural born performer and he held the bar mesmerized by his performance.

So how you like me now

How you like me now

How you like me now

How you like now

Remember the time

When I eat you up

You know that I wasn't lyin

That you can't give up

So if I was to cheat

On you baby, would you see right through me

If I sing a sad, sad, sad song

Would you give it to me

Does that make me love you baby

Does that make me want you baby

Does that make me love you baby

Does that make me want you baby

So how you like me now

How you like me now

How you like me now

How you like now

Marcel sang the song as if he owned it, his voice and showmanship were a delight to the crowed that when he finished the song the whole room erupted in applause. He just gave a gallant bow with a smirk plastered on his handsome face as he sauntered back to their booth. It took him a while to get back to his seat, as the tables he would pass by would stop him and ask him if they could buy him a drink. Caroline was pretty sure he was half way to drunk by the time he made it back to their booth.

Three other people had gone on stage after Marcel and then it was Caroline and Kol that were called to the front. Both of them sharing a shot of tequila before they slid out of the booth and made their way to the stage, Caroline's grin reflecting how nervous she was and Kol's smile was full of glee at the fun they were having, and having Klaus's girl with him without his knowledge making it that much more exciting.

You can holler, you can wail

You can swing, you can flail

You can flop like a broken sail

But I'll never give you

If I ever give you up my heart will surely fail

Caroline and Kol sung together, their shoulders shimming and their hands joining to swing each other around in what would be considered horrible dance moves had not most of the room been completely drunk as they found the pair absolutely delightful.

And after all God can keep my soul

England have my bones

But don't ever give me up

I could never get back up when the future starts so slow

No longing for the moonlight

No longing for the sun

No longer will I curse the bad I've done

If there is time when your feelings gone, I wanna feel it

You can holler, you can wail

You can blow what's left of my right mind

You can swing, you can fail

You can blow what's left of my right mind

I'd don't mind

There's a time for the second best

And there's a time for when the feeling's gone

But it's hard to be hard I guess

When you're shaking like dog

You can holler, you can wail

You can blow what's left of my right mind

You can swing, you can fail

You can blow what's left of my right mind

I'd don't mind

They finished the song laughing and out of breath, both of them staggering back to the booth for another round of shots and drinks that Marcel had ordered for them while they had been on stage. The night continued on as such, all of them hooting and hollering at those that were on stage before taking their own turns on stage once more.

It was Caroline's turn, this time on her own. She gave a tentative smile to Marcel and Kol who just gave her nods of encouragement. Walking onto the stage, she gave a shy smile to the crowd as she took the microphone from the stand.

Her dark eyes darting to the television set above the state for a moment before dropping to the ground, listening to the opening beats and lifting the microphone to her lips.

Dial up my number now

Waving it through the wire

Switch me on

Turn me up

I want to touch you

You're just made for love

Caroline's eyes lifting from the ground to scan the crowd for a moment before landing on one set of eyes she did not think she would see tonight. Klaus stood in the back of the room, his hands tucked in his jacket pockets watching her with an unreadable expression on his face.

Caroline was drunk enough to just smirk at him, enjoying the fact that her would be lover was here to listen to her sing, and she was feeling mischievous enough that she might as well put on a little performance for him. As she kept her eyes on his her dancing became more sensual and her free hand sliding across her stomach thighs as she sang.

I need la la la la la la

I need ohh la la la la

I need la la la la la la

I need ohh la la la la

Cause up and round me

Teasing your poetry

Switch me on

Turn me up

Oh child of Venus

You're just made for love

I need la la la la la la

I need ohh la la la la

I need la la la la la la

I need ohh la la la la

She could see his eyes darken with want, her sinful movements on the stage and lustful lyrics not going unheeded by the red blooded male that watched her like a predator watching its prey. She placed the microphone back onto the stand, her hands caressing the stand as she would her lover. Her shoulders shimming in time with the song, making the soft swells of her breasts sway with the movement.

You know I walk for days

I wanna waste some time

You wanna be so mean

You know I love to watch

She pulled out the hair band that held her hair in that elegant pony tail, letting the blonde curls fall across her shoulders in waves. Her fingers sliding into the messy blonde curls as her knees bent to sway her ass low to the ground before coming back to bring her lips level with the microphone, her dark eyes never leaving Klaus's, enjoying the lust she saw blatantly etched across his face.

I wanna love some more

It'll never be the same

A broken heel like a heart

I'll never walk again

Yeah

I need la la la la la la

I need ohh la la la la

I need la la la la la la

I need ohh la la la la

The song ended with clapping, wolf whistles and cat calls. A smirk firmly anchored on her soft lips as she gave a wave to the crowd and made her way off the stage. A few males approached her, but she just shook them off making her way to the only man she had eye's for, the only one who she had been performing for.

"Hi love." She practically purred as she cupped his cheeks in her hands and lifted herself onto her tip toes to tease her body against his own, her teeth playfully nipping at his lips.

Pulling his hands out of his pockets he circled his arms around her slender hips, pulling her tightly against his body as he captured his mouth with her own, tasting the sweetness of her lips, his tongue plunging into her mouth, the kiss was dominating, as he wanted to show her that she was his and his alone. It was only after he felt that he had sufficiently taught her a lesson of whom she belonged to that he eased back from the kiss. Their lips grazing one another's before pulling away completely.

His kiss had also performed a second task, the task of showing every single person in that bar that she was his. He had been beyond jealous and hated every man who dared laid their eyes on his Caroline during her performance, even though she kept her eyes on him the whole time. He had been ready to kill every single man that had approached her after her little show on stage and had only been kept from doing so by the fact that Caroline had come straight to him after she was finished.

"Care to tell me why you are at a bar with my brother and one of my good mates, love?" He tried to keep his voice as casual as possible, but there was a hard edge to it. He had been beyond pissed when he had found out that Kol had taken Caroline out with him for the evening. And to find out from one of his drivers had only made his anger that much worse.

"Your brother stole your phone and asked me out on a date tonight. I accepted thinking it was you. When he came to my door I totally wasn't going to go out with him but he promised me karaoke and I couldn't turn that down. We were just hanging out, I promise. Both of them were on their best behavior." She smiled reassuringly, before she leaned up to kiss him once more, trying to appease his jealousy that was so very blatant.

The hard scowl somewhat eased for a moment only to return full force at the appearance of his brother, his angry gaze flicking behind Kol to search out Marcel, who was currently at a table full of women who he was at the moment trying to charm the pants off of.

"No need to be angry Nik, just having a bit of fun." Kol said jovially, clearly pleased at riling his older brother up over taking his girl out for a spin around town.

"No, a bit of fun is going to be when I snap your neck for the little stunt you just pulled." Klaus growled, his body becoming tense as he readied to throttle his younger brother.

"Nik." Caroline chided as she lifted her hands to stroke his face, her body pressing against his as she tried to distract him from tearing into his younger brother. "He was the one to make sure that Marcel was on his best behavior with me, not to mention he was the perfect gentleman all evening."

Klaus just lifted an eyebrow in question as Kol groaned and covered his face with his hand shaking his head. "Darling, you can't go around saying things like that, you are going to ruin my reputation."

Caroline just rolled her eyes before pressing another soft kiss against her boyfriend's lips, her fingers moving gently over the stubble of his cheeks before pulling back to whisper against his mouth. "Want to come home with me?" She grinned, her eyes dancing with innuendo as her hands dropped from his cheeks to glide over his chest.

Klaus smirked at her blatant invitation, his hands running through her soft blonde curls before gathering them up in his fists as he pulled her against him once more to drop a hungry kiss against her lips. It was only when he had her arching against him that he pulled back, his cocky alpha male persona at the forefront. "I'd love to go home with you, sweetheart."

XxX

**Winter is coming people. You know what is happening next. Let me know your thoughts on the chapter. **


	12. Love Them

**A/N - Just wanted to say thank you for all the reviews. Also wanted to say lol to Justine for her comment about how winter is coming and that Klaus and Caroline should keep warm. Glad you guys all liked the last chapter - at least some of you find me funny. lol. And you know what this chapter is. Smutty smut smut. Enjoy.**

XxX

The driver cleared his throat again. This was probably the 4th time, maybe? Apparently almost having Klaus and Caroline pieces of clothing away from full on sex in the back of the Range Rover was a little disconcerting for the driver to bear witness too.

The driver was lucky that Caroline was able to keep Klaus from snapping at the poor guy, working quickly to distract Klaus each time she felt his muscles start to tense as he tried to pull away from her embrace ready to remind the driver just who he worked and that his sole job was to get them to Caroline's flat so that he could make her his in the only way he knew how.

There was no way anything was going to stop him from taking Caroline tonight. He didn't care if a bloody marching band paraded through her flat because he was going to fuck her until she only knew one word and that word would be his name.

His anger at finding Caroline in the company of Kol and Marcel had pissed him off, and not only that but to find her at some seedy bar where she was just not patronizing but drawing every eye with her glorious voice. And when she had put on that provocative little show before the crowd and even though it was just for him, he still wanted to gouge out the eyes of every male in that bar that watched her curved hips sway and dip in time with the song.

She was his, and hated that any other man saw the provocative little goddess that haunted his dreams almost nightly perform on stage before all, as it was too much to bear. He hated that he was jealous. He was so angry that he couldn't even deny the reason why he was jealous. He was possessive of Caroline, she was his and his alone and it was ridiculous the he was even like this. His game was quickly getting out of control and he needed to end it, the sooner the better.

He shouldn't be possessive of the blonde angel in his arms let alone care about her, because he did care about her. Caring for someone other than family was a weakness and he was not weak. Memories of Mikael rose unbidden for a moment, the hateful words that spewed forth from his "father's" mouth about how no one would ever love him and that he was nothing but weak and useless flooded his ears before he was able to shut the memories back down. He was not weak, he would not let Caroline make him weak.

Tonight he would sleep with her and then leave her. Doing so would invalidate every single feeling that was constricting his chest at the moment and prove that this was nothing but a game to him would be irrefutable.

Yet, he was almost afraid to sleep with her. He was afraid that if he slept with her he wouldn't be able to walk away from her. Her kisses were so passionate and she responded to him with such honest emotion, he was afraid that she would ruin other women for him. He was afraid no one would ever compare to Caroline.

But now that he had his Caroline in his arms so willing to allow him to claim her as his own that he knew in that moment he had to have her and it overcame his fear. He wanted at least this one night with her. His jealousy and need driving his desire to have her, mark her and make her his.

His thoughts were pulled back to the present as his hands slid along her back, slipping under her top and caressing the smooth skin of her back that had teased him so on their first date. Her lips were soft and she tasted bitter, sweet and salty a mix of the tequila, salt and lime she had been indulging in all night.

Caroline's body was on fire, every single place he touched her felt like she was melting. The constant edge that she had been feeling all week was now at the forefront. She needed him and she needed him now. And the way Klaus responded to her confirmed that he wanted her as much as she wanted him which pleased her to no end.

The sway of the vehicle coming to a stop drew his attention away from Caroline and to their surroundings. They had arrived at Caroline's flat much to the joy of the driver. Klaus made quick work of pulling Caroline out of his lap and sliding out of the SUV. He didn't bother waiting for Caroline to exit the vehicle on her own, he just reached in and pulled her out and into his arms.

"Nik!" Caroline squeaked as she slid her arms around his neck as he lifted her up and carried her into her building with long sure strides before he set her down in front of her door.

"Keys." He commanded, holding out his hand while he held her against him with the other. Caroline just laughed as she reached into her pocket and pulled out her keys, pausing to pick out the key to her front door before handing it to him.

He made quick work unlocking the door and opening it. Tossing the keys inside he lifted her back up into his arms and walked through the door kicking it closed behind him. He turned her around so she could lock it before walking over to her bed and dumping her on top of it making her squeak once more as she bounced a few times before settling.

"Is this our thing? You dropping me on a bed like a bag of potatoes before we get it on?" Caroline teased playfully as she kicked off her shoes and pulled off her jacket as she watched him start to strip. He stepped out of his shoes as he unbuttoned his jacket, pulling it off his shoulders and dropping it onto the floor. Caroline's eyes darkened with lust as she watched him pull off his shirt, taking a moment to admire the muscles of his chest and abs.

Klaus remained silent as he climbed onto the bed; his face serious as he was in no mood for her teasing banter, the feeling of anger and jealousy was still tight in his chest and he was on a mission to ravish her toughly so that she would know she was his. She lay back onto the bed as he crawled on top of her, his graceful movements reminded her of a wolf and the look on his face said he had just spotted his prey. His hungry eyes were solely focused on her and it made her heart race with anticipation.

He didn't kiss her at first; he just touched her, running his fingers along the curve of her cheek, admiring her beauty before threading through the golden curls of her hair, rubbing the silken strands between his fingertips before releasing them. His hands slid another other parts of her body, the width of her shoulders and the length of her thighs, each touch causing her breathing to stop before violently starting once more.

Once he had explored her body toughly with his hands he slowly performed the action again only this time removing each piece of clothing he encountered. Caroline could see the reverence in his eyes with each bit of her skin he bared. It made her heart ache, and in that moment she knew she loved him. No one had ever looked at her the way he was now looking at her, and she could no longer question her feelings for him. She had been questioning her love for him for weeks, and now she was no longer afraid to admit it to herself that she loved him. To admit it to him was another matter entirely, and she wondered if he loved her as she loved him.

She knew that he cared about her a great deal, she could see it in his face, the way he touched her, treated her and that was enough for now. They were still newly together and his love would come with time, she just happened to beat him to the punch and that was ok, she was happy to wait for him to catch up.

As she helped him ease out of her clothing she took the moments in between, when he was stoking the skin he had just exposed, to touch him, slender fingertips grazing the edge of his jaw, flirting up along the curve of his neck, caressing the tattooed feather along his shoulder and following the flying birds across his collar bone. She could hear the change in his breathing, the tell letting her know that he was not as unaffected by her touch as the concentrated expression on his face would lead her to be.

He took extra care when he pulled off her bra and uncovered the swells of her breasts, his fingers ghosting along the undersides of her breasts before teasing her nipples, causing them to tighten and his lovely Caroline to moan quietly as she arched into his touch. He repeated the action again before cupping her breasts in each hand and kneaded them, his thumbs teasing her nipples once more causing Caroline to mutter his name breathlessly.

As he touched her, her hands never ceased moving, she followed the lines of his chest and abs with her hands, enjoying the feel of his hard muscles and hot skin. Her fingers followed the path of his abs to the waist of his jeans, her hands making quick work of the buttons and pushing his pants and boxers off of his body. And now they were skin the skin, their hands wandering over one another's bodies and that was when Klaus kissed her.

His lips were soft, pliant as they moved against hers, a soft sigh parting her lips which he took the invitation to slide his tongue inside of her mouth. He loved the taste of her, the feel of her lips against his own, how strongly she responded to him, as if she was made for his kisses alone. His lips were quickly missing from her own and before she could protest its loss she felt his mouth on the skin of her body. His lips, his tongue, his teeth paid homage to her body, exploring her as he had with his hands had only moments ago.

He had her fidgeting, twisting, groaning with each taste that he took, enjoying her reactions to his ministrations to the fullest. He tasted her skin of her collar bone, the sweet curve of her shoulder, the bounty of her breasts, making sure to give extra attention on her nipples, curling his tongue around each one and sucking it into his mouth. Lapping at the sensitive flesh until her nails were dragging across his back and his full name was tumbling from her lips.

With a smirk on his lips he trailed a hand down her flat stomach to cup her core into his hand, pleased to feel that she was wet for him already. His finger tips slid up and down her slit for a moment, enjoying the soft hum of delight that was swallowed by his kisses before he slid a finger inside of her causing Caroline to break their kiss and gasp for air as she arched her hips against his hand.

Klaus smirked at her response, his head dipping to nuzzle the curve of her shoulder before pressing a soft trail of kisses to her pulse point, feeling it pound against his lips as he slid yet another finger inside of her.

Caroline groaned as she moved against his hand, her fingers clutching her shoulders as she pulled herself closer against him, her teeth sinking into his shoulder as his thumb rolled against her clit causing tremors to shoot through her body at his very touch.

"Nik."

She whimpered against his skin, the want in her voice driving his own need as he sped up his movements, thrusting deeper and faster, his thumb flicking against her clit until she found her release, her body tensing against his before for a moment before shivers wracked through her body, exploding from the pleasure brought to bear at his hands.

Again that smirk was plastered across his face as he eased his fingers out of her and lazily brought them to his lips, sucking the evidence of her orgasm off of each finger causing Caroline to shudder. With a quick roll of her hips she rolled him onto his back so that she was on top. His erection pressing her stomach as she leaned down to press open mouth kisses against his chest.

Klaus sighed as he relaxed against the bed, happy to let Caroline take control and do as she pleased with him. Sure he wanted to just hold her down and thrust himself into over and over again until he reached oblivion, but he also liked that she wanted to touch him as he touched her. That she seemed to enjoy bringing him pleasure as he brought to her. None of the other women he slept with had been so generous, they just wanted what he could give them and he took whatever pleasure he could get from their bodies.

Caroline slid herself against his need as she traced his feather and bird tattoo with her tongue, her hands gliding across his sculpted torso. She wanted to please him as he had pleased her. Twice he had made sure that she was taken care of first, something her other lovers had never done, let alone even though twice about. She wanted to return the favor; she wanted to be as generous with him as he was with her.

Her mouth moved across the silken heat of his skin, he was magnificent, just as she remembered the last time he had been in her bed. His body was lean and sculpted; again she could understand where his cocky demeanor resonated from. She took her time worshiping his body, enjoying the tightening of his muscles under her light touch.

Caroline delighted in the sounds that she drew from him as her mouth moved steadily down south, enjoying the amazing muscles of his abs, flicking her tongue against the hard lines of his body before she reached the sexy V of his hips, her fingers teasing the lines of his body before wrapping around his erection.

She paused a moment, looking up at him through the veil of her lashes with the same mischievous smirk that she had given him on stage before she took him into her mouth. A soft groan emanated from his chest as he sank back into the bed, his fingers burrowing themselves in her golden curls, almost at the point of losing it by the feel of her mouth alone as he had not felt a woman's touch in months other than the short time a few days ago before her friend had caught them together and their few and far between make out sessions.

"Caroline" Klaus growled as he felt her mouth work against his hard on, his fingers falling from her hair, not wanting to her hurt her and falling to the bed and fisting the sheets, his knuckles becoming white as she licked and sucked his cock.

The soft hum of her voice vibrating against his erection as she bobbed her head up and down, causing him to almost lose control which was he deemed to be impossible, he was the one always in control always and yet his little lioness had him at a loss. It was when he was almost at his peak that he dragged Caroline up and off his cock, words tumbling from his mouth before he was even cognoscente of what he was saying.

"Sweetheart, I need you now."

He had meant to have her begging for her to have him inside of her and now the tables were turned as he was the one begging. He was grateful that she did not tease him, her slender body slithering up his own as she positioned his head above her entrance before slowly and deliberately sliding him inside of her. She was slow, as she had not had a man in almost a year, and he was so large so she had to take care.

Once he was fully encased in her heat they both came to a standstill, her adjusting to his size and he acclimating to being inside of her.

"Condom?" He murmured, his hooded eyes on hers.

"I'm on the pill." She reassured him softly to which he gave a slight nod.

Her hands slid his across his hard chest and around the back of his neck and pulled him up so he was sitting upright so that they were face to face. A small smiled played along her lips before she kissed him thoroughly, her arms curling around his neck as she slowly started to roll her hips, easing him in and out of her.

She mewed softly as his hands slid up and down her spine before settling on her hips, assisting in the rise and fall of her hips, his mouth working along her chest and neck, leaving little bites along her porcelain skin marking her as his.

Her arms slid from around his neck, pausing to fondle his necklaces for a moment before her fingers slid into his hair, holding him against her body, the tease of her breasts scraping against the skin of his chest as she glided against him making her moan.

Her movements became erratic the closer she got to her orgasm, his hands on her hips forcing her to remain steady as she rocked against him.

"Niklaus" she moaned quietly against the skin of his neck, saying his name as if it was a benediction before she bit down in his shoulder once more, her nails raking across his back as she pushed herself harder against him, his hand sliding from her hip to tease her clit once more.

"Come for me Caroline." He demanded, his rough voice heavy with need as he circled her clit with his fingertip, his other hand guiding her hip as she rose faster and harder against his cock, her slender body shaking with her impending release, and it was his voice, his sexy accented voice that sent her over the edge. He could feel her pulsing around him, which sent him over the edge into his own release.

They fell back into the sheets together, her sprawled across his chest, as they fought to regain their breath, both of them relishing in their post coitel bliss.

He took her two more times that night, desperate to get as much of her as he could before he left her. The first time was one top of her, controlling the pace and their movements, forcing her to come twice before he found his own release. The second time he had her on her hands and knees, sliding in and out of her as he guided her hips against his. She surprised him when she pulled herself up so her back was against his chest, her arm circling around his neck as she raised her face to his, kissing him with such sweetness it left him breathless and confirmed his assumptions that he was caring far too much for his blonde angel.

They stayed like that, both of them on their knees as he continued to move inside of her, his hands roaming her upper body before cupping her breasts in each hand and fucking her until she found her release once more, him following quickly after her. Both of them falling into the bed once more, Caroline slipping into an easy slumber while Klaus stroked the skin of her body, trying to memorize each and every curve knowing this was the last time he would see her.

It was an hour before dawn that he finally found the will to get out of bed. His eyes trained on Caroline, as he got dressed, reveling in the flush of her skin, the marks along her body that he had given her and the innocent beauty of her face. There was a light that glowed inside of her, and he wished with his black heart that he could keep her with him. That thought was quickly snuffed as Mikael's was voice once more rattling in his ears about how weak he was, forcing him out the door and into the empty streets of London leaving his lover behind.

He should be pleased; he played the game and won. He seduced her and slept with her and now it was over. He could move on to new conquests, yet the thought of touching another woman who was not Caroline sickened him. No one would compare to the utter bliss that he found in her arms. Her passion, her sweetness and her honesty would never find a rival.

He couldn't think that way, he wouldn't think that way. He had to move on, he had to prove that she was not his weakness. He would go on as before and yet there was a part of himself that knew that nothing would be the same again, however he was stubborn enough to pretend that it would make no difference.

It was these warring thoughts that were his companions as he made his way back home.

* * *

Caroline groaned as her alarm went off, her hand slapping it repeatedly before it finally shut off. Why the hell did she even have it on? Damn it, Klaus had allowed her maybe two hours of sleep during the night, the rest of the evening and well into the early morning he spent fucking her brains out. It had probably been hands down the best sex of her life and this was only their first night together. She smirked into her pillow as her thoughts drifted to what the second night would be like. Hell she was ready to go right now despite her lack of sleep, lifting her arm she felt around her bed for him only to find it empty and cold.

She lifted her head to do a quick survey of the room, and found her boyfriend to be gone. Caroline sighed and just fell back into bed, it was not surprising that he was gone given that he always on the go doing whatever nefarious things that crime lords do.

It was early enough that she felt she could go back to sleep and not feel guilty about it, but she was aroused and didn't feel like she could get back to sleep again. Damn him, why did he have to leave? It was the first time she had sex in almost a year and she wanted to sate her appetite to the point she wouldn't be able to stand.

With a soft grump she reached over on her night stand and grabbed her cell phone, opening up a text box and sending Klaus a quick message.

_Why did you have to go so soon? I'm ready for round two. Or would that be round four? ;) – C_

Caroline grinned at her flirty text before opening her contacts and selecting Katherine's number and hitting call. She only had to wait for six rings before her friend finally picked up the phone.

"_Bitch, you better be in fucking jail or in the fucking hospital for waking me up."_

"Kat, you work at a bar and it is barely even 1 a.m."

"_Yes, I'm a bar tender who had the fucking night off and was sleeping."_

"You don't even go to bed before 3 when you _do_ have the night off."

"_Damn it bitch, stop arguing with me. You woke me up, end of story."_

"All I'm trying to say is that I have never known you to be asleep before 3 in the morning. So it isn't my fault I woke you up."

Caroline could hear Katherine scoff at that explanation.

"AND you were the one who wanted me to call the moment I slept with my boyfriend."

Katherine was quiet for a moment as processing the statement through her still groggy head and then it clicked.

"_No shit!? You finally fucked him? How was it?"_

"I seriously just had the best night of sex I have ever had in my freaking life!" Caroline gushed, her hand touching her neck lightly as she thought of Klaus and every single thing he had done to her last night.

"_Yeah?"_

"Oh my God, yeah. He is a fucking sex god, Kat. What he could do with mouth and hands alone was insane. Not to mention the rest of it." Caroline swooned further into her bed hugging the blankets tighter against her body silently cursing him once again for leaving her bed this morning.

"_I'm not sure if I can believe you. This is the first sex you have had in like a year. Dry humping probably would have been the best sex of your life after that long of a dry spell." _

Caroline just rolled her eyes and rolled to her side, her nose nuzzled into the pillow catching the lingering scent of her lover, a soft smile playing on her lips.

"_On the off chance that you are actually not just sex deprived, I need to start looking for flights."_

Carline just laughed at her friend's one track mind.

"Ok, well I'll let you get back to sleep. Let me know when you plan to visit again so I can warn Elijah." Caroline teased happily.

"_You should warn him. I plan to fuck him until he can't remember his own name."_

"Kat!"

Caroline could almost hear her shrug on the phone.

"_It's true."_

"Goodnight bestie."

"_Good night bitch. And don't fucking call me this late again."_

"Yes, yes. I promise."

"_Bye."_

Caroline hung up the phone shaking her head at her best friend as she opened her texting app to see if Klaus had responded to her message only to find that the text failed. Frowning she sent it again only to have it return as failed once more.

"Huh."

_Must be something with the network s_he thought to herself before shrugging, and setting the phone back on her night stand. The night was finally catching up with her so she snuggled under the blankets and fell into a fitful sleep.

XxX

******This was my first full on smut. How did I do? And y**ep - things are about to go south very quickly. Let me know your thoughts. Also my darling B and my lovely Dreams in Color love Kol and Damon. Do you guys like them too? Just curious to know. 


	13. And Leave Them

**A/N - Glad all of you enjoyed the smut. I was totally inspired by heystrippah so if you ever want some good Klaroline sexy time read her stories because hello nurse! Yeah. **

**Thank you all for the reviews I appreciate them as well as the follows and favorites. Glad you also like the Kol and Damon interactions as well, they are fun to write. I know a ton of you love Kat and her relationship with Elijah. I have great hopes for those two depending how this story runs its course. **

**Anyway – enough blabbering - onward! **

**XxX**

Caroline was glowing, absolutely glowing. At least that is what the girls at the office said. And it was true, Caroline was radiating happiness. She was in love. And not only was she in love she was in love with a total hoty who was amazing in bed, which only made her grin. How did she get so lucky?

Thinking of her boyfriend she was disappointed she had yet to hear from him. Caroline bounced on her toes as she waited for the train, her eyes falling from the empty tracks to her phone, frowning once again failed text message. It had only been a few days, since she last saw or heard from Klaus and she was starting to get a little worried.

Her mind started listing scenarios as to why she had not yet heard from Klaus. Maybe he broke his phone and that was why she couldn't get any text or phone calls to actually go through without failing. No, that didn't make any sense. It wouldn't fail just because a phone was off. Maybe he lost his phone and had to get a new number which made a little more sense at explaining the failed messages.

If he did have a new number why hadn't he contacted her yet? Did he not know her number? If he did bust or lose his phone and didn't get the chance to transfer the contacts it would explain why he hasn't called or texted. After all she couldn't even begin to guess what Katherine's phone number was just off the top of her head.

Then again he could always ask Stefan for it. The wheels in her mind started turning but before she could start to work herself up into full blown neurosis she remembered her promise to Katherine to back off the crazy with him. She didn't want to mess this up by getting all _Single White Female_ on him. It was only a few days since she had heard from him and it didn't mean anything. They had gone a few days without talking before and just because they slept together didn't mean she had to hear from him right away. She was not going to have crazy card stamped today and ruin her relationship with Klaus just because he didn't call her yet.

It made Caroline smile that she was able to stop that crazy train before it started to fall off the cliff. Perhaps maturity did come with age because if she had been in high school and this happened it would have been a whole other story.

* * *

A few days managed to turn into a full week since Caroline had heard from Klaus. Her calls and texts were all still failing and she had yet to get any messages or calls from an unknown number. She felt a little anxious about not hearing from him. What if he was hurt? For that matter she had not heard from Stephan in a while either. Given their professions it was a real possibility that they could actually be hurt, and she worried over the two men she loved.

Opening up her phone she fired off a quick text to Stefan.

_Hey – are you and Nik ok? – C_

Her phone dinged a few minutes later with a reply.

_Yeah we're fine. Why? – S_

_I haven't heard from you or Nik in a while. Did Nik get a new phone number? – C_

_No. It's the same one. – S_

_And you don't have any issues calling or texting him? – C_

_No. Why do you ask? – S_

_Every time I try and call or text it comes back as failed. – C_

_Odd. – S_

Odd indeed. Caroline chewed on her bottom lip as she read over the text messages from Stefan again. Klaus still had the same phone number and Stefan had no issue contacting him. So what the hell was going on with her phone? She knew it wasn't a technical issue because she had no problem calling Katherine and just now confirmed there was nothing wrong with her texting ability. So that left only one reason that she was unable to contact him and that reason was he was ignoring her by blocking her number, which was highly confusing to say the least.

Why the hell would he block her number? She tried to wrack her brain over what he could be upset about enough to ignore her like this. She knew it wasn't the sex, he had enjoyed that as much as she had given the evidence between her thighs once the night was over. Perhaps he was still upset at her about going out with Marcel and Kol? He had been so angry that night; she could almost feel the jealousy roll off of him in waves. However she thought his jealousy had been sated given they spend most of the night having sex. Not to mention he left little love bites all over her body as if marking his territory. She wanted to tease him for it by calling him a love sick teenager as she had not had this many love bites since high school.

But why block her number? It was one thing to ignore her calls and text's but quite another to actually block her number. Of course if he was childish enough to be mad at her for going out with his friend and brother she could believe that he was childish enough to block her number so he wouldn't have to deal with her until he got over his little jealous ego trip.

Yet something nagged at her. He was more likely to lash out rather than ignore. He should be yelling at her, not acting like a petulant child and ignoring her. Something was wrong and she wasn't just going to sit back and hope that he worked it out by himself or wait to realize that he was acting like a child. She was going to see him and straighten this out like an adult.

Looking down at her phone she noted the time. Now would be a good time to visit him as he should be at home, it was too early in the day for the bar to be open yet and she assumed most of his dealings with his work happened in the evening. Plus it was actually sunny out today and she knew he wouldn't miss an opportunity to take advantage of the light knowing him and his artistic little heart that she adored.

It brought a smile to her face when she thought of Klaus and his love of art. He was so passionate about it and his skill was amazing. She had been beyond thrilled when he had given her a few drawings which were currently holding a place of prominence on her tact board at home. He had drawn her pictures of herself, one that was the two of them together and a picture of a horse. The horse picture was a nice surprise because it meant he had actually been listening to her when she would ramble as she had confessed her love of horses over dinner on one of their dates. It was the sweetest gift anyone had ever given her. An instrumental gesture that had him creeping that much further into her heart.

It was these thoughts that kept her occupied as she made her way over to his place. It was probably a good thing she was distracted by her thoughts of how sweet he could be because his actions so far had her on the very edge of going all _The Real_ _Housewives of New Jersey _on his ass for acting like a complete child and blocking her number just because he was jealous.

Once she made it to his place she paused just outside the lobby doors and took a deep breath before walking into the building, giving herself a silent reminder to keep her temper in check. Going housewife on him was going to Plan B if he didn't respond to talking things out like an adult which was Plan A.

Caroline made her way up to the front desk, which was really just a glorified guard desk and gave a bright smile to the man who sat behind the desk who was wearing a suit that was pressed to perfection which reminded her of the suits that Elijah wore. She knew he lived in the building as well, and she wouldn't put it past him to make sure that the employee's of his family business were dressed impeccably and appropriately.

"How can I help you?" He was a big man, bouncer type if you will with blonde hair, green eyes and a soft Scottish burr.

"Good Morning." She chirped. "I'm here to see Ni – Niklaus Mikaelson." She stuttered on his first name for a moment as she and Klaus's family were the only ones that he allowed to call him Nik. He preferred everyone else to call him Klaus which reminded her that she was going to have to tell Katherine to start calling him Klaus when she came to visit again.

"And your name lass?"

"Caroline Forbes." She replied with a smile, her hands folded together as she rocked back and forth nervously on her heels, wanting to get this confrontation done and over with.

The man down looked at his paperwork for a moment, shuffling through it before he looked back up at her; there was a fleeting look of emotion that was too quick for her to catch before his face returned to impassive.

"Mr. Mikaelson has sent specific instructions that he has no wish to see you."

Caroline stopped moving as she took a moment to process what he just said to her and asked him once more to repeat it.

"Mr. Mikaelson has no wish to see you."

Caroline was stunned for a moment and then her anger took over and unfortunately the man in front of her was going to bear the brunt of it until she could bestow it on its rightful recipient.

"I don't really care if he doesn't want to see me. Call him and tell him to get his ass down here right now and face me. There is no way I am going to put up with him acting like a freaking little child because he is upset with me. The fact that he even has the audacity to even pull something like this is ridiculous and I thought the blocked number was bad enough."

Caroline was fuming at that point and didn't care if she was rambling and making a scene at the same time. And here this whole time she was trying so hard to work this out like an adult and now she had to go straight housewife on his ass. God, she almost wished she was from New Jersey so she could make it that much worse for him.

The guard frowned and glanced around the lobby and noticed a few looks their way. He had watched her reaction with concern as some of the women got out of control when he gave them the same message but this one was taking it in a completely different way. It was only after she was done with her outburst that he realized that she didn't really understand the message as those who came before her had and it caused a knot in his stomach knowing that he was going to have to explain it to her.

"Ms. Forbes if you will please?" He said as he rounded the desk and led her to the edge of the lobby away from the prying ears of those people who were watching the two of them with curiosity. Once they were far enough away he turned to face her with a look of pity in his green eyes that she did not understand.

"Look lass, I hate to be the one to tell you this but Mr. Mikaelson doesn't want to see you at all because he deems your relationship to be over. I usually don't have to be so blunt but apparently whatever relationship you two had was more than his usual one night stand. I apologize that you took it the wrong way, but he no longer wants to see you."

Caroline felt the anger drain out of her body as the blood quickly drained from her face at his words. Just like that Klaus was saying it was over and this was how he was doing it. A building lobby guard was the one telling her that the man that she loved wanted nothing to do with her any longer. The news caused her chest to tighten; it was as if her heart had been replaced by a lead weight.

A shaking hand came up to press against her mouth as her other hand went across her stomach, turning blindly away from the guard. No. No. This was not happening. This was a joke, some cruel joke that was being played on her and yet she looked at the guard standing next to her once more and all she saw was pity. And it was the guard's look of pity that the truth of his words sank home.

Through her shock and sadness of his words she felt angry that Klaus would humiliate her like this. She wanted to ask the guard to call him down here and dare him to say it was over to her face so at least she could have the satisfaction of slapping him. But she knew he would not do that, the whole point of having a stranger telling her it was over so he wouldn't have to face her.

She could feel the pin prick of tears of humiliation and shock and sadness and a plethora of emotions start to bubble up to the surface, her hand pressing harder against her mouth to stifle a sob that threatened to escape her lips. Unwilling to humiliate herself in front of the guard by turning into a crying mess in front of him she turned and fled. By the time she hit the door she was running, tears blurring her vision as she moved through the crowded sidewalks. She wasn't sure how she got there but she somehow made it to Stefan's front door.

She was sobbing at that point, as her fist pounded against the door, praying he would be home. When the door never opened she just turned to rest her back against the door and slid down to the floor, pulling up her knees and hugging them to her chest.

How could he do this to her? She could have sworn that he cared about her. That he truly cared. He was always so protective of her and she always felt that she was seeing a side of him that he didn't show to anyone else. As if he took off the mask that was crime lord Klaus and was just Nik with her. Was none of that real? Why would he end it like that? It made no sense. Was he unhappy? Did he not feel they were working out as a couple? Did…..and then it hit her. The last part of what the guard had said finally clicking in her head 'not his usual one night stand.'

He left her right after he slept with her. Technically what they had was a one night stand. They had only slept together once. Klaus left her after he slept with her. Was that all he wanted from her? Was just to sleep with her? Was their whole relationship one giant game just so he could sleep with her? It was what he wanted when she had first met him. But…. he had accepted her terms that they were in a relationship. They were in an honest to goodness relationship. Would Klaus have faked the whole thing just to sleep with her?

Yes.

The answer was staring her in the face and all Caroline could feel was sick. He played her and left her and her heart in pieces. She loved him and it was all a lie. Humiliation, anger, sadness, betrayal and heartbreak were all pushing down on her chest making it hard to breath between her sobs.

It was in the midst of all that emotion she suddenly she felt a pair of arms around her, lifting her from the ground and into a tight hug. Caroline looked up for a moment and only started to cry harder seeing that it was her best friend who holding her.

"Caroline, what happened? What's wrong?" Stefan asked worriedly as he held her against his chest, his hands moving up and down her back to ease her sobs and provide what comfort he could. Caroline made no answer, her face buried against his chest as she could do nothing by cry at the moment unable to pull herself together.

She wasn't sure how long they stood there, but eventually she was able to stop the sobbing but not stop the tears. It was all too fresh for her but she was able to be somewhat coherent again. Stefan pulled back to look at her, his jaw ticking with worry but he looked somewhat relieved that she had calmed down. Keeping her tucked safely at his side he opened his door and led her inside. Closing the door quickly he guided her to the couch where he sat her down and then moved to fill two glasses with healthy dosage of scotch.

He set both glasses on the table in front of Caroline and went to grab a box of tissues. When he came back, both glasses were empty. Handing her the tissue box he turned and brought the bottle over from the sideboard to the coffee table, filling both glasses once more.

Caroline slammed down the third glass of scotch in one gulp before using the tissues to blow her nose and wipe away her fresh tears as best as she could as they still flowed freely down her face. Stefan took a large swallow of his drink as he sat down next to her, his brows pulled together in concern he watched her carefully.

Taking a big breath Caroline told him everything that had happened. From her night out with Kol, to sleeping with Klaus to her conversation with the guard and her conclusions about her relationship with Klaus and that it was all just a sham. Caroline only broke down a few times as she told him everything, allowing herself to sob before pulling herself back together and continuing the tale. Stefan's face remained stoic throughout the telling, his arm resting supportively around her shoulders as he listened to each and every word. It was only his eyes that truly told of his feelings. He was beyond angry, he was almost seething at what she was telling him.

Seeing his friend so heartbroken and betrayed because Klaus had no intention of committing to a real relationship because all he wanted to do was sleep with her had brought every emotion he had experienced with Katherine and Damon to the forefront. Everything she was feeling now was what he had felt then. The parallels of finding out that his girlfriend had never loved him and left him to be with his brother and what Caroline was going through was almost laughable if it wasn't so gut wrenching.

The heartbreak he had experienced had eaten at him until he could do nothing but engage in violence, debauchery and drink until he couldn't feel anything at all. To see his best friend now going through the same heartache, the same friend who had helped pull him from the abyss not only broke his heart but set his anger on fire.

His thoughts were pulled back to the present as Caroline took another shot of scotch, her tears seeming to have ceased as she allowed the numbness of the liquor to take over. Stefan let out a big sigh and gathered her into his arms, pressing a kiss against the top of her head.

"You are going to get through this Caroline. Klaus is a bastard for doing this to you, but you cannot allow it to break you. Do you understand?"

"How?" Her voice was barely above a whisper and it was filled with such a sadness it made his heart ache.

"Because you are a strong and if I was able to make it through Kat and Damon you will be able to make it through Klaus. And I know that doesn't sound encouraging given what I did to cope with those feelings, but you are so different from me Caroline. There is such a goodness in you that you could never fall like I did."

He felt her nod and Stefan gave her a tight squeeze with his arms in response before he kissed the top of her head once more. Pulling back from the hug he lifted her chin so he could meet her eyes which were bloodshot and puffy, the look in them holding such sadness and anger it caused his heart to clench once more for her pain.

"Caroline, none of this is your fault. If you are right, he planned from the start to leave you once he slept with you. There is nothing you could have done differently that would have made him stay." Caroline looked as if she wanted to argue and for a moment he thought she would take his words to heart but then she spoke.

"Except maybe to have never had gone out with him in the first place. I should have listened to you." She murmured softy, as she felt maybe her pride was at fault here. "I knew he was a womanizer and I thought maybe I would be worth for him to change his ways. I thought he did, I thought he cared for me. That is the worse part I think, that he had me completely fooled in thinking he cared for me."

"If it means anything to you, I thought he cared for you as well. I have never seen him like that with anyone else as he was with you." Stefan said quietly as he pulled her back into another hug.

"You are going to get through this Care. I promise you."

Caroline just gave a slight nod, not sure if she believed him or not.

* * *

"_That jack ass! I will fucking kill him Caroline. He is dead. I cannot believe he did that to you. That mother fucking ass hole."_ Katherine raged _"If you want I think my mom knows a guy who knows a guy in Bulgaria who can take care of Nik for you if you want it done sooner. I probably won't be able to catch a flight until next week so I can ring that douche bag's neck." _

Caroline smiled wearily at her friends offer, she would never let Katherine to do anything like that but it warmed her heart that she cared enough that she would actually do it. It had been a week now since Klaus had "broken up" with her. She had been staying at Stefan's who was doing everything he could to comfort her. He even went so far as to watch cheesy romantic comedies with her and eat gallons of ice cream all the while complaining that it was not only going to ruin his girlish figure but ruin his real life expectations for romantic relationships which only made Caroline laugh.

She was now finally back in her own place again, as she had been unwilling to face it with the memories of Klaus that were still so fresh. First on the list of cleansing her apartment of that jerk face was to sanitize her sheets in bleach and hot water and then possibly burn the couch.

She had held off telling Katherine about what had happened because she knew Katherine would respond with violence and she wasn't sure she would be able to say no to her . Now that Caroline had calmed down some with the help of Stefan she was ready to talk Katherine, well at least talk her down from whatever she was planning on doing to Klaus in retaliation for hurting Caroline, which was funny in itself as Katherine was supposed to be talking Caroline down not the other way around.

"It's fine Kat. I don't want to give him any more thought then he deserves. I just want to move on."

"_And we move on by kicking his ass. I have seen _Hostel. _Lots of torture techniques we could find very useful against that former cum guzzling monkey whore of an ex- boyfriend."_

"Do sailors visit your bar Kat?"

"_Yeah, why?"_

"Just wondering where this colorful vocabulary is coming from. Cum guzzling monkey whore?"

Caroline said with a faint smile, as she could almost hear Katherine shrugging.

"_Lot's more where that came from. And all perfect for describing that cunt bubble of an ex-boyfriend of yours."_

Caroline chuckled softy as she shook her head.

"I love you Kat. But honestly, I just want to forget about him. Hopefully karma is going to come around and bite him in the ass."

"_I think us biting him in the ass with some hedge clippers would be more satisfying. First thing to clip off would be his needle dick. Do you still have his number? I bet he hasn't blocked my number. I'd like to call that low life piece of shit and give him a piece of my mind if you are not going to let me at least maim him."_

"No Kat. Like I said, I just want to move on. But thank you for the offer."

"_Well just know I am here for you. Anytime you need to talk, even in the middle of the night. You know I love you bitch."_

"I love you too Kat. You and Stefan are the two best friends a girl could ever have."

"_And don't you forget it."_

After a moment of silence.

"_And I totally mean it about my mom knowing a guy who knows a guy. It is Eastern Europe after all."_

Caroline just laughed, feeling the tiniest bit better. Stefan was right, she was going to get through this after all, one way or another.

* * *

"Stefan mate. How are ya?" Klaus asked as he got up from his table, standing to offer Stefan a friendly slap on the shoulder.

"You son of a bitch." Stefan growled as he landed a right hook into Klaus's face sending him reeling back onto the floor.

Stefan had done nothing but seethe the week he had spent with Caroline. Seeing her so hurt and broken had done nothing but fuel his anger. He wanted to go after Klaus the moment she was finished telling him everything but he knew she needed him with her more than he needed to beat the ever living hell out of Klaus. So he stayed and gave comfort as much as he could.

It was only a week later when she felt like she could go home and stay at her flat by herself. He felt that she was in a good enough place that he could leave her alone and know that she wouldn't spiral like he had. She was strong enough to hold onto her goodness and that was all that mattered.

Once he was sure she would be ok he went after Klaus. He wanted to make him pay for hurting his friend. He would not let him get away with the pain he had caused her.

Once the punch was delivered Stefan didn't give him a chance to get up off the floor. He was on top of him within moments, his fists flying as he landed a few more punches before Klaus finally started to fight back.

Pushing his hands against his chest, Klaus threw Stefan off of him sending him flying back before rolling to his feet, ready to face his enforcer.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing Stefan?" Klaus growled as he stood up, his thumb coming up to catch a drop of blood from his split lip and wiping it away.

"What the fuck do you think I am doing Klaus? Did you really think you could hurt Caroline like that without there being any consequences? I warned you to be careful with her and you hurt her anyway." Stefan hissed as he moved forward, both men landing punches with ease. They were sparring partners they knew each other's weak spots and took the advantage where they could.

"How could you do that to her you bastard?"Stefan asked between blows.

"Maybe I'm just pure evil. Maybe I was just bored." Klaus answered with a sneer, before doubling over in pain as Stefan landed a vicious punch into his stomach.

Before either of them could attack again they were pulled apart, Elijah holding Klaus back while Kol barely held onto Stefan, both men struggling to get free to finish what Stefan had started.

"You're done Salvatore. You are fucking done. Do you think you could really attack me and get away with it?" Klaus growled as he fought against Elijah's grip. "You have an hour to get out of town before I come after you. I will hunt you down and then make sure to tear out your organs one by one." Klaus promised quietly.

"I think you should be more afraid of what I'm going to do to you Klaus. I'm The Ripper for a reason. You catch up with me and I think you are the one that is going to be in pain." Stefan pulled out of Kol's arms and stalked to the front door, leaving the three brothers alone.

Elijah released Klaus stepping back from him looking from his brother to the front door watching Stefan's retreating back for a moment. "What was that Niklaus?"

"None of your concern brother." Klaus growled at Elijah.

"I think this has something to do with sweet Caroline." Kol smirked as he looked between Klaus and Elijah.

"Shut it Kol or the next thing to come out of your mouth will be your teeth." Klaus threatened before stalking off towards the back rooms of the bar ready to start in motion the man hunt for Stefan Salvatore.

He slammed into the back office and shut the door hard enough to rattle the glass. It was the same office that he had dragged Caroline into the night he had told her he would accept her terms and would 'date' her. He closed his eyes for a moment as he remembered how beautiful she looked that night. She was a siren and he would have willingly gone to his death just to have one taste of her cupids bow lips.

She was haunting him, even here and all he wanted to do was move on from her, but he couldn't stop thinking about her, her laughter, her smile and the brightness of eyes. Her light was what drew him in and he could not escape it, his darkness wanted her light so badly and he couldn't move on. It had only been two weeks since he shared her bed and his need had increased rather than decreased as he had hoped it would have once he had slept with her.

He fell into the chair at the desk, looking at the phone he knew he should call in his order to hunt Salvatore down, yet he hesitated. He had promised Stefan a head start without any intention of keeping it yet he couldn't bring himself to actually pick up the phone. Deep inside he felt he deserved the beating he had taken at his enforcer's hand. His guard at the front desk had described the devastation Caroline had suffered at his words and it killed him.

He hated that he was the cause of her suffering but he couldn't bring himself to make amends. Mikael's voice was so strong in his head about how weak it was to love, he couldn't go back to her. It wasn't like she loved him anyway; no one would ever love him. He was worthless. Nothing. And no one would willingly stay by his side, Stefan had proved as much today. It was better not to care to not form attachments.

Yet, he made good on his hour before he called in reinforcements to hunt Salvatore, a mercy for Caroline even though he would never admit it.

* * *

"_Caroline?"_

"Stef? What's wrong?" She frowned as she could hear the urgency in his voice.

"_I can't talk long, but I have to go away for a while."_

"WHAT? Why?" Shock and pain evident in her voice, it had barely been a week since everything that had happened with Klaus and she couldn't imagine her best friend leaving her at a time like this.

"_I went after Klaus and now he is after me."_

"Oh my God Stefan! Why did you do that?"

"_I couldn't let get him away with what he did to you Care."_

Caroline just groaned and covered her eyes. No, this was not happening. How was everything going from bad to not so bad to worse?

"Stef I can't do this without you."

"_Yes you can. You are strong and you know you can do this on your own. Plus you have Kat to rely on. She will be there for you."_

"Are you going to be ok? Can you make it on your own?"

"_I'll be fine Care. I will contact you when I can." _

"Be safe."

"_I promise."_

**XxX**

**Ok so that was totally intense chapter. I hope that Stefan wasn't too OOC. Since it was his heartbreak that had originally sent him over the edge I didn't think it was too hard buy the fact that Caroline getting hurt as she did would push him to violence once more. I also decided to throw in the Tyler story line of being run out of town, but have it with Stefan instead. It shouldn't be a surprise that Klaus would threaten him like that and make him run. He is hurt and confused and lashing out as per his usual m.o.**

**I also want to reiterate that the chapter that started this whole story will be completely torn apart. I promise you Caroline will not go back to him that easily – he is going to work to get her back and work hard. Plus he has a lot of growing to do emotionally.**

**So tell me what your thoughts are on this chapter. I am curious to know how you felt about it. Especially Caroline's reactions. **


	14. Pregnant

**A/N – All I can say is wow! Thank you all for the reviews – I think that last chapter had the most reviews ever! So awesome. Plus you guys were pissed! Remember we are dealing with the big bad hybrid here. Klaroline is still the end game. **

**Anyway – thank you all for the follows and favorites. I can't believe over 300 follows! You guys blow me away. **

**Well here it is – the chapter that started it all - hope you guys like it – took me awhile to find my mojo for it. **

XxX

It had been a month since Stefan had left. She had only gotten two texts from him letting her know that he was ok, both from different cell phone numbers, for which she was grateful. Stefan was alive and well and that was all that mattered. She even managed to deal with the increase communications with Damon as a result of his disappearance. Luckily Stefan had spouted off some nonsense about finding himself to Damon so it sounded more like a sabbatical rather than _I am running in fear of my life from a crime lord. _

Of course Damon felt like it was his fault his brother had to go find himself connecting the sudden sabbatical to Katherine's visit to London and he appeased his guilt by talking to Caroline. It annoyed the hell out of her but it gave her another thing to focus on other than her broken heart which she was reluctantly thankful for.

The strange thing though was that with her conversations with Damon he didn't crack any jokes about Klaus (or should she say Ken) at all. Caroline took it to mean that Katherine must have told him about her break up with Klaus and then threatened to rain down hell if he said anything to Caroline. And if there was one person Damon Salvatore was afraid of it was Katherine Pierce, although he would never admit it.

Caroline had spent most of the month watching romance movies, eating gallons of ice cream and metric tons of Chinese food. Katherine had talked to her almost every other day, keeping her grounded and keeping her from getting too depressed.

Caroline's thoughts drifted to Klaus more than she wanted to. His voice, his dimples and the way he touched her. It was hard to shake, especially since she had been so in love with him. The humiliation she felt at his hands and the fact that he had run Stefan out of town was quick in diminishing any lingering regret at the path that their relationship had taken.

It was in the middle of one of her movie marathons that had gotten her up at the crack of dawn that she felt nauseous. She barely made it to the bathroom before she was tossing up what was left of last night's dinner. She puked until it was nothing but dry heaves. _Fuck, _she hadn't felt this bad since her little drunken shot fest with Katherine last month and unfortunately this time she didn't have the pleasure of at least being drunk as a skunk before she was subject to feeling as sick as dog.

Well that was just fucking great. Let's just add the flu to the worse fucking month of her life. Guy that you fell in love with just uses you just for sex. Your best friend forever gets run out of town by said love of your life that used you for sex. Now let's make you puke your guts out because life is super duper that way.

Spitting into the toilet one last time she flush and moved to the sink to wash her hands only to find the soap dispenser empty. Rolling her eyes she dropped to her knees to open the cabinet under the sink to fetch the giant bottle of soap that she used as a refill only to freeze as she caught sight of the box of tampons that set next to the soap refill.

Tampons. Tampons. Her period. She didn't remember having her period recently. She couldn't remember the last time she had her period. She was so preoccupied with her broken heart she hadn't even thought about her period. When the fuck did she have her period last? She couldn't remember. Glancing at the trash can and finding it clean she wracked her brain as to when she bled last. Scrambling up onto her feet she ran to look at her birth control pills. Her sugar pills were done two weeks ago, yet she didn't bleed. She had been so caught up in her sadness that she hadn't realized she was supposed to of had her period.

She missed her fucking period.

No.

No.

This was not happening. Her luck wasn't this bad. There was no fucking way her luck was this bad.

Gasping for air she pressed a hand to her stomach, closed her eyes and prayed. She may not have been religious, but she was willing to beg to any God that would listen to her. _Please please please God don't let this happen. Not with him. Anything but him. _With a burst of energy she pulled on a sweater over her pajama tank top, slipped on a pair of trainers and grabbed her purse and was out the front door like a shot.

It only took her a few minutes to get to the 24 hour drug store that was around the corner from her place. Running to the feminine hygiene aisle she paused at the area with all the pregnancy tests. Grabbing one of each she made her way to the front of the store and dropped all six boxes onto the counter waiting to be checked out.

The old man at the checkout stand was far too apathetic to his job to give Caroline any sort of judgment for her purchase, checking her out quickly and efficiently for which she was eternally grateful.

Caroline made it back to her flat in record time, dropping her bag of tests on the counter as she bolted to the fridge and pulled out a couple of water bottles, opening them up and drowning the contents in large gulps in effort to fill her bladder.

An hour later she couldn't help but face the results. Every line in each pregnancy test stated that she was very much pregnant. All she could do was cry at the unfairness of the whole thing. The very man she loved who humiliated her in the most horrific manner was the father of her child. Her hand went to her sill flat belly as she staggered back to her bed to lay down, the very bed that consummated their relationship and singlehandedly brought about the conception of their child.

Could life really be that unfair? She was on the god damn pill and she was pregnant with _his _child. What the hell was she going to do?

_Oh God Oh God Oh God! _This can't be happening. Maybe it is a false positive. Stress causes women to miss their periods all the time. Maybe it was just stress. Yes. And this month had been beyond stressful. And stress leads to false positives and missed periods. Yeah, the tests had to be a false positive, because she couldn't be pregnant. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope.

And that morning sickness was food poisoning. Or the flu. Although she didn't feel sick at the moment, which just meant it was food poisoning because she threw up what made her sick. Yeah. She had ice cream for dinner and that was what made her sick. Yeah. People ate bad ice cream all the time. It's like an epidemic. She should totally call Haagen-Dazs and inform them of the bad ice cream she ate.

And also go to the doctor just to make sure she was over the food poisoning and then why not check to make sure she wasn't pregnant? Just to make sure it really was a false positive. Because why not be sure, right? Right.

Caroline moved to her laptop and looked up the nearest clinic, her nails clicking a frenzied beat on the table as she chewed on her bottom lip as she waited for the results to come up. Once she had the clinic looked up she called them up and asked if they had any openings for today. They had one in an hour. Great! She would save her full on neurotic melt down for after the appointment.

She arrived 30 minutes early to the clinic for her appointment. After she checked in she just paced around the room chewing on her lip and wringing her hands as she tried to assure herself that she wasn't pregnant and that it was just food poisoning.

"Caroline?"

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard her named being called. Turning on her heel she went with the nurse who stood in the doorway and followed her to an exam room and sat down on the exam table.

"So what are we seeing you for today?"

"I think I have food poisoning and I need to make sure I am not pregnant. Because being pregnant would be really bad right now and especially with who could have gotten me pregnant would be really _really _bad and I really need this to be food poisoning. I can't be pregnant, because if I am pregnant my best friend is going to kill the father. She is going to fly over here and strangle him and then I am going to have to cover it up somehow so she doesn't go to jail and then my child will be fatherless. Not that I really want him to be the father of my child, but it is the principal of the thing." Caroline rambled as she nervously shook her leg up and down as she looked the nurse.

The nurse just arched an eyebrow at her totally nonplussed by her explanation before standing up and quickly checking her vitals before she led Caroline to another room to get her blood drawn. Once that was done the nurse escorted her back into the exam room and told her that the doctor would be in to see her once the blood test was done.

Caroline tried to sit still but she was too anxious for that. Standing once more she paced the small exam room, her eyes looking listlessly at the objects in the room without really seeing them. Her mind kept up the constant mantra of _please don't be pregnant _again and again in hopes that just thinking it would make it true.

"Hello Caroline I'm Dr. Baht." The pretty doctor smiled softly at the blonde as she came into the room.

Caroline smiled in return hesitantly. "Hello." She said politely as she quickly moved to sit back on the exam table as the doctor closed the door. Caroline interlaced her fingers together as if in silent prayer, hoping that the doctor would tell her that the test was negative.

The doctor moved to sit on the little stool setting her laptop and folder down on the counter, moving to shuffle some papers around before looking at Caroline.

"Well your blood test came back. Congratulations, you are pregnant. I am going to prescribe you some prenatal vitamins and I can recommend an OBGYN for you. Maker sure you make the appointment soon so you and the baby can get checked out."

Caroline just sat there stunned at her words. She was pregnant. _She was pregnant. _She felt her heart constrict before it fell into her stomach. _No no no no no no no._

"What? No, I can't be pregnant. I'm on the pill."Caroline said, her voice shaking as she tried to tried to come to grips with the fact that she was not only pregnant but she was pregnant with Klaus's child.

"Well it isn't 100% effective. Also if you are not consistent with the dosage it can lose some of its effectiveness. Did you take it at the same time every day? Did you ever miss a dose?" The doctor said absently as she was busy typing her notes into her lap top before taking out her prescription pad and writing an order for prenatal vitamins.

"Yea-" Carline was about to answer automatically about always being consistent but she paused. When Katherine had come for her visit they had kept such crazy hours that Caroline had never taken her pill at the same time every day. Plus she was pretty sure she had thrown up one of the pills when they had gotten crazy drunk that one night.

Caroline felt the tears well in her eyes as she realized there was no way out of this. She was pregnant. Her luck really was this bad. She blinked them back as best as she could, taking the prescription that the doctor gave her and made her way out the clinic as quickly as possible.

When she got home she fell the pieces. Curling into a ball on her couch she just cried, her hand resting over her flat stomach trying to accept the fact that she had a baby growing inside of her.

It was a week before she was able to pull herself together. Most of it was spent in tears and panic. She was alone in another country and she was going to have a baby. The baby's father was a freaking crime lord who only used her for sex AND ran her best friend out of town. Her best friend was missing. How the hell was she supposed to do this without Stefan to keep her grounded?

How the hell was she going to raise a baby? She wasn't ready to be a parent. She wanted to at least be married first and then start a family. She was only 25. This was not part of the plan! The plan was to get married, settle down and then have a baby when she was 30. And how was she going to have a baby with Klaus? That was if he would even acknowledge her so she could at least tell him he was going to be a father.

Why why why why did it have to be him? Of all the people to get her pregnant it had to be the man that broke her heart. She had vacillated between never wanting to see him again to wanting to see him again if only to give him a piece of her mind and then slap him. Now they would forever be connected and she hated it.

These thoughts were what kept her company throughout the week as she slowly came to accept her pregnancy and was able to ease some of the panic that had kept her almost immobile. Once she was able to think a little more clearly she realized she was going to have to start telling people. Well at least one person in particular needed to know.

She had managed to go back to Klaus's building to try and see him to tell him, but the guards were having none of it much to her dismay, so she just left a message at the desk for him to contact her. It crossed her mind to ask them to give the message to Klaus that she was pregnant, but crossed it off just as quickly. She didn't know how many of his one night stands had tried something like that in order to see him again and she did not want to be part of that number. Caroline would just have to wait to see if he would contact her because at that point there was nothing she could do until he decided to talk with her again.

Caroline wanted to tell Stefan and she wanted to not tell Stefan. She was afraid that if she told him he would come back in a rage and kill Klaus and end up getting himself killed at the same time which she wanted to avoid at all costs. Luckily he was saved from having to make that choice since she couldn't get in contact with him anyway, as his communications to her had all been one way.

Next came the dreaded part of having to tell her mother and Katherine. Out of the two of them she was more afraid of telling Katherine. Damon was afraid of Katherine for a reason, because truth be told anyone who knew Katherine was afraid of her. Caroline could handle the disappointment from her mother more than she could handle however Katherine was going to react to this news, which wasn't going to be pretty.

Caroline stared at her cell phone knowing she had to make the phone call but was just too scared to actually do it. She was saved from having to call because her cell phone started ringing startling from her little pep talk of encouragement, Katherine's name flashing across the screen. It was as if the universe was taking matters into its own hands.

"Hi, BFF." Caroline said weakly her hand shaking as she held the phone to her ear.

"_Don't BFF me bitch. You have been avoiding me all week. What the fuck is going on?"_

Well there was no point in pretending nothing was wrong, she had to tell her sooner or later. "Kat, you have to promise me that you are not going to go crazy when I tell you what's happened."

"_What the fuck do you mean don't go crazy. What the fuck did you do? You better have not gotten back with Nik because I will fucking kill you if you did."_

"No. I didn't get back with Nik. Please. You have to promise me to keep calm after I tell you what has been going on."

"_Fine, just as long as you didn't get back with that fucking low life piece of shit."_

Caroline was quiet for a moment contemplating how best to tell Katherine and then just decided it was better to just blurt it out, kind of like ripping off a band-aid.

"I'm pregnant. And it's Nik's baby."

Katherine was silent and this scared her more than having Katherine flip out.

Caroline wanted to fill the silence but she couldn't bring herself to do so.

"_Are you sure?"_

Katherine's voice was terrifyingly even and quiet which only added to Caroline's fear.

"Yes. I went to the doctor and they confirmed it." Caroline said, keeping her voice as steady as possible.

Silence.

"_How did this happen?"_

"Apparently I wasn't consistent enough with my pills."

Silence.

"_Have you told him?"_

"I tried. The front desk would not let me see him. I left a message with them for him to contact me." Caroline's shaking voice started to crack as she said answered Katherine's question. All her fears about having to deal with Klaus or in this case him never talking to her again and never knowing he was going to have a child coming to the forefront.

"_Oh hon." _Katherine's voice becoming soft and sympathetic, pushing aside how selfishly angry she was and focusing on the fact that her best friend was falling to pieces.

It was those soft caring words that Caroline finally lost it, bursting into tears and every thought, feeling and fear about her pregnancy came tumbling out of her mouth. Katherine listened patiently, her heart aching that her friend had to face something like this. Katherine wasn't the overly emotional friend, that was what Stefan was for, but given that he was gone she knew she had to fill that role for Caroline, especially now.

Caroline had calmed once she had emptied out her thoughts, not realizing how much she had needed to get everything out. They talked then, discussing what the future held, options, everything they could think of in terms of the baby and it ended with Katherine promising to do anything she could to help out.

The talk left Caroline feeling slight better than she had been in days.

"_You do realize I am going to castrate that son of a bitch, right?"_

"Have at it, just as long as you don't kill him. My baby kind of need's a father."

* * *

Her eyes went wide as soon as she spotted him, her hand moving protectively over her protruding belly as if to shield her child from the dangerous man who stood before her. Biting her lip she watched him move from the shadows and stalk towards her like a wolf hunting its prey. His movements graceful, controlled. With every step Klaus took towards her, she took one back until she hit the wall of dryers in the dilapidated little laundry mat near that was near her flat. Before Caroline could even consider thinking of a way to escape he was on her, his hands going up to either side of her head, caging her between his arms.

"Hello, Love." He practically purred in her ear as he leaned in, his stubble scratching delightfully against the skin of her cheek. Caroline lost her breath in that moment, she had not seen him in four months and even if he was a douch bag who slept with her once and left, she still found herself incredibly attracted to him. She blamed her freaking hormones. No one ever said that when you got pregnant one of the symptoms was wanting to have sex 24/7.

His scent filled her head, making her almost dizzy with want. She bit her lip harder, scolding herself internally for even feeling like that. He slept with her and left her pregnant and not to mention humiliated her. Now is not really a good time to get all hot and bothered, especially over him. That ass hole.

Klaus leaned back to get a better look at the blonde goddess. He had thought about nothing other than her for the past four months. It drove him mad how he couldn't get her out of his head. He tried to sleep with other women in order to drive the thought of her away, but the moment their lips touched he felt nothing. He never went past a kiss because he wasn't even able to get himself up, Caroline had ruined him. Those other women didn't hold a candle to her. He missed her.

When Klaus found out that his little blonde distraction was pregnant – with a child that could only be his (despite his self imposed exile from her arms, he still kept tabs on her), Klaus was thrilled. It was a god send, a reason he could have Caroline back without looking weak. Not to mention the thought of Caroline heavy with his child pleased him to no end for reasons he could not fathom.

"Did you planning on telling me about this, sweetheart?" His hand falling away from the wall of dryers to rest against her stomach, a faint smile on his lips as he took in the wonder of what he and Caroline had created as his fingers wandered the curve of her belly. Caroline could feel the heat of his hand through the thin fabric of her shirt, her breath catching as he moved his hand so intimately against her body, his fingertips lazily stroking the prominent curve of her stomach, a shiver racing through her that he could not help but notice. Her brows pulled together as she registered his words, dark lashes lifting to looked up at him, her soft pink lips pulling into a scowl.

"I did try. Your stupid men wouldn't let me near you." She huffed softly.

His brow lifted as he gazed down at the vixen, his head tilting to the side as he considered his words. "I think telling them you were pregnant with my child would have been an extenuating circumstance." It was true; he had ordered them to keep her away from him. He didn't trust himself to see her again and not cave in on his promise to walk away and stay away. But they always told him that she had been by and any messages she left. When she had left that message three months ago for him to contact her he should have known that this was the reason.

"Seriously? I am going to tell some stranger I am having your baby?! And you honestly think that one of your little tramps hasn't tried that exact same line to try to get past them before?" Rolling her eyes at that thought. "And you think they would somehow buy that line from me? Ridiculous Nik, absolutely ridiculous. " Caroline practically growled at him. Klaus gave a slight shrug of his shoulder, blue green eyes completely focused on Caroline's belly.

"When are you due?" Klaus murmured, his hand moving higher against her stomach, lightly grazing the undersides of her breasts with the back of his hand, a satisfied smirk pulling at his lips as he listened to her breathing hitch.

Caroline took a moment to calm her breathing, yet it was a useless exercise. He was too close, his woodsy scent filling her senses. The warm's of Klaus' body so near to hers, the heat of his hand causing her heart to race so fast she was sure that he would hear it pounding in her chest. "August." Caroline's voice equally soft as she caressed her stomach lovingly.

It was at that point that Klaus lost his breath. The soft look that spread across her face as she thought of their child, bright blue eyes shining as her perfect pink lips pulled into a sweet smile. God damn, she was beautiful. And with that, he lifted her chin up with the tips of his fingers and kissed her. Klaus had thought of nothing but kissing her again the moment he left her bed, and now that she was pregnant with his child there was no use denying himself any longer. Caroline was his now.

Long elegant fingers always dirty with some kind of paint or graphite marking him as an artist buried themselves in her golden curls, pulling her closer to him. His other hand snaked around her hips, caressing the bare skin that revealed itself as Caroline lifted her arms to curl around his neck as she gave into the kiss.

_Jesus, what was she doing?_ But that thought was quickly pushed away as Klaus pulled her closer. His soft lips hungry as they devoured her own. His tongue flicking across her bottom lip, urging her to allow him entry and Caroline could not help but acquiesce. Her lips parted with a soft moan and he plunged his tongue into her mouth, exploring, tasting, dominating. Caroline was his now, and he wanted to make sure she knew it. Their kiss was also filled with a longing that left both parties fully cognizant of the fact that they yearned for each other.

Gasping for breath, Caroline pulled back from him, her heart pounding loudly in her ears. Her hands sliding down from his neck to the hard planes of his chest, Caroline's fingers absently playing with the necklaces that hung down from around his neck as Klaus leaned back down again, placing light kisses against her lips, nibbling gently at the bottom lip she was so fond of biting. His hands roaming her body lightly, slowly becoming reacquainted with the blonde beauty. They stood like that for who knows how long. Touching and kissing one another as if they were long lost lovers. It was at some point that Caroline finally came back to her senses. Her hands falling from the stubble of his cheeks she was so fond of caressing and came to rest on his chest as she pushed him away. Klaus stumbling back from the unexpected moment, his handsome face a mask of confusion.

"I can't believe I just did that!" Her fingers pulling angrily through her curls as she glared at him. "How do you even think that it is remotely ok that you can just waltz in here and kiss me like that? Huh? You slept with me and then left like some thief in the night. After four damn months of dating! I finally let you into my bed and not only do you leave you completely ignore me. AND you had your freaking door man break up with me, which was a total dick move. Oh and let's not forget you got me pregnant!" Caroline was fuming at that point, unsure if she was angry about what he did or what she just allowed herself to do given the list of current grievances against him.

"I should have listened to Stefan when he warned me about you." Caroline was rambling, but honestly, how could she not. The man who slept with her 4 months ago, which was arguably the most amazing sex she ever had in her life, comes back out of nowhere after doing everything he could to ignore her and kisses her? Seriously?

"I was just another notch on your belt buckle. Wined, dined, impregnated and abandoned. God, it sounds just like a lifetime movie." Caroline groaned, her hand coming to cover her eyes suddenly wanting to cry. Stupid freaking hormones.

Klaus had watched all of this unfold with a slightly amused look and an arched eye brow, his hands coming to rest behind his back as he waited for her to wind down, having been subject to a few of these outburst before. Although the amusement quickly faded from his face as soon as he saw that Caroline was about to cry. With a few short steps he gathered her into his arms, running his hands soothingly over her back as Caroline buried her face into his neck and released a flooded gate of emotion. Her fingers curling into his Henley shirt as her slender shoulders were wracked with her sobs.

He murmured quietly in her ear, trying to calm her as best as he could, his head resting against hers, just holding her against him. Klaus moved his hands gently across her back trying to sooth away her tears. He hated that he caused her to fall apart like this. Her tears were tugging at his heart, for reasons he still didn't want to admit to himself.

He was only allowing himself to have her because she was carrying his child. He knew it was a lie, but it was the only way he could have her. An excuse to get what he wanted, yet he could not admit the truth to himself about why he wanted her. Caroline was a light the eased some of the darkness of his soul. She was a constant thought that followed him relentlessly.

Klaus would not face the truth so he pushed the thoughts away, trying to focus on Caroline whose sobs had finally quieted and she was just resting against his chest. Her fingers once again tugging absently at his necklaces while he stroked the sun kissed curls away from her lovely face that was red from the tears that had seemed to have finally dried up.

"I won't leave you again. I won't leave you or our child." The softly lit British accent whispered against her hair.

Again he was using the child as an excuse to get her. Niklaus Mikaelson – King of London's underworld – hiding his love of a woman behind a child. Family above all was after all the Mikaelson motto, and no one would question Klaus taking the mother of his child under his roof.

"No, you won't get the chance to leave me again because you are not going to be with me." She pulled herself out of his arms, her hands shaking as she wiped away the tears on her cheeks as she glared at him. "You broke my heart, Nik. I won't give you the chance to do it again."

"Caroline." He pleaded quietly taking a step towards her.

"No. Stay away from me. I don't want to see you until this baby is born."

She was ashamed that she had cried in his arms like that, but it had felt so good to have him hold her. And his kisses were better than she remembered, although that kiss shouldn't have even happened. Hormones. She would blame it on the hormones because after what he had done to her she shouldn't even be giving him the time of day.

"Please sweetheart, allow me to acquit myself."

"Just like you did last time? Not happening. You pretended to date me so you could sleep with me and then you had the doorman break up with me. There is no room for forgiveness anywhere in there. The only reason I am even bothering to talk to you right now is because you got me pregnant. You are the father to my child. But don't even _think_ that means we are going to have _any_ sort of relationship together." Caroline crossed her arms and glared at him.

Klaus just looked at her helplessly. He couldn't explain himself because then he would have to admit to himself the real reason why he left her. So he said the only thing he could say.

"I'm sorry."

Caroline just shook her head, unmoved by his words.

"Too little, too late. Now please leave. I have laundry to finish." Caroline said as she turned away from and started loading the washer with her dirty clothes.

Klaus could say nothing, however it did not stop him from making a promise to himself that he was going to win her back. She was his, she was carrying his child and he needed her. At least he had a small hope that she at least still had some sort of feelings for him, the way she kissed him had confirmed that at least.

"Call me if you need anything, love."

"Oh, are you actually going to unblock my number?" She quipped sarcastically as she closed the washer door and started to add the detergent.

Klaus sighed and looked down at the floor; blocking her number wasn't exactly his proudest moment. Seeing as she was pretty much impossible to talk to, he decided to leave her be for the moment.

"I'll contact you soon, sweetheart."

"I'd rather you not." Caroline said with a frown as she turned to shoot him a glare before turning back to her laundry.

Klaus sighed again, giving her one last look before leaving the laundry mat. Once Caroline heard the door closed she turned to watch him get into his SUV and drive away, her shoulders slumping as she sat down in one of the chairs, her hand lifting to rest against her belly bump as she tried to process that Klaus was back in her life again.

XxX

**Well there it is. How was it?**


	15. Cravings

**A/N – Hello! Here is an update – I am still studying for my 63 but I had to get this out. **

**Thanks for all the follows and favorites and reviews. Glad you guys liked the change in the last chapter. **

**XxX**

"_He did WHAT?" _Katherine practically yelled into the phone after Caroline told her recounting of meeting Klaus at the laundry mat.

Caroline held the phone away from her ear for a moment, trying to save her hearing from Katherine's outburst and proceeding litany of cuss words. Her dark blue eyes flickering around the small boutique to make sure she had not drawn any unwanted attention.

Once the flow of words had stopped she brought the phone to her ear and started talking again.

"He showed up and said wanted me back, well not word for word but it was implied." Caroline said quietly, still stunned by the fact that Klaus had shown back up in her life, her hand went absently to her stomach remembering how he touched her there. It had been almost surreal having him feel her belly like that, to feel the child they had created together when she had despaired about him _ever_ knowing about his child.

"_Is he fucking brain dead? How the fuck would he even _think_ that you would get back together after what he did to you? I mean Jesus Fucking Christ that man is an idiot."_

"I know." Caroline said, becoming lost in her thoughts.

It didn't make sense why he would leave only to suddenly come back into her life again and want her. She could understand coming back for the baby but why would he want her again? It wasn't like she still had her banging bod and he came back for seconds. What possible reason could he want to be with her again? He used her for sex and left. What more was there?

"I just don't understand why though. Why does he want me back?"

"_Maybe he has some sick twisted sense of family and now that you are having his baby it means that you guys should be together."_

"Maybe. I don't know. It just seemed like he really wanted to get back _together_ together not just let's get hitched for the baby's sake."

"_Are you sure?"_

"Positive."

The reason Katherine was even questioning her was because Caroline had not told her about the kiss. Caroline knew her best friend would fly over and bitch slap some sense into her if she ever found out that Caroline had allowed Klaus to kiss her, let alone touch her like he did.

She was still pissed at herself that she allowed it to happen in the first place, but she could not deny how amazing it had felt. With her hormones on over drive she was not as immune or as opposed to his touch as she should have been. She partially blamed the fact that he was still as handsome as ever, with that sexy stubble and a body that would not quit for her momentary fault in sanity. She was turned on just thinking about it. _Jesus Caroline, pull it together. You hate him, remember? _

"_Well just threaten to gut him if he tries anything other than taking responsibility for the kid." _

Caroline laughed softly as she browsed through a few pieces of clothing that she could not dream of being able to fit into until the next year or so. The only reason she was in the little clothing store was for a piece she was writing her the magazine.

Caroline just wished she could find out what Klaus wanted with her. Why he wanted to get back into a relationship with her. The way he had kissed her had left no doubt that he still wanted her, but why? He was more than happy to be one and done before. Why the sudden change?

"I promise."

"_How is the kid anyway?"_

"Good. Doctor says the baby is healthy and growing."

"_You find out if it is a boy or a girl yet?"_

"Not yet, I still can't decide if I want to know or if I want it to be a surprise."

"_Well there's a shocker. Neurotic control freak Caroline actually wants to be surprised about her baby's gender."_

"Shut up!"

To anyone who knew Caroline it was a surprise that she did not to want to know the baby's gender. The moment she found out she was pregnant Caroline should have had a detailed list of boy and girl names and a design theme set up and ready to execute depending on if the baby was a boy or a girl. Yet she had been hesitant to know the gender of her baby due to the fact that knowing and preparing would make it all that more real. Time was not something that was on her side as was going to have to face reality soon and get things together for the baby because ever increasing girth was a testament to the fact that she had a time limit on her procrastinating.

But facing reality meant facing her fears and she was scared of raising a child on her own in a city that she only knew a handful of people and they were acquaintances at best. Stefan was gone and until recently Klaus had been out of the picture. Now that Klaus was back in her life she didn't know how to proceed. She knew she needed to talk to him about the baby, but she couldn't even stand to see him. She truly didn't want to see him until the baby was born.

She knew it wasn't smart to not discuss the baby with Klaus before it was born but she was still too angry with him to have any sort of civil conversation with him. Yet her more responsible _you're going to be a mother soon so fucking suck it up _side was telling her she was going to have to face him and have a serious talk about the baby and their future _before_ their child was born.

The real question was when the hell was she going to get enough guts to do it?

* * *

"Caroline, just what the bloody hell are you doing?"

Caroline groaned and rolled her eyes the moment she recognized the voice and turned around to come face to face with a very angry Klaus who stood just behind her in the checkout line. He looked fit to be tied he was so mad, but it was a sexy mad as Caroline couldn't help but notice with his gray t-shirt hugging his toned chest along with a pair of dark pants that hung off his hips.

"Finding a cure for cancer." She deadpanned. "What the hell does it look like I'm doing Nik? I'm grocery shopping."

"At 2 o'clock in the bloody morning?" Klaus growled angrily. Ever since he had found out Caroline was pregnant with his child he made sure someone was watching over her 24/7, and when he received the call that she left her flat to go to the grocery store in the middle of the night he had become absolutely livid.

"Yes, at 2 o'clock in the _bloody_ morning." Caroline bit out sarcastically. "You may not know this but when you're pregnant you sometimes you get cravings in the middle of the night."

Klaus looked down at her shopping cart to see just what the hell she was craving at 2 in the morning and found it filled with macaroni and cheese, cheetos, a block of cheese, cheese popcorn and various other things where the main ingredient was cheese. _Was that a can of cheese-wiz?_

Klaus looked bewildered at her selections and said almost distractedly "You should have called me, love. I would have been happy to pick it up for you."

"What part of _I don't want to see you until this baby_ _is born_ did you not understand Nik?" Caroline's rising voice causing the only other people in the store, which consisted of two clerks and four patrons, to look over at them.

"Easy, love. You are starting to make a scene."Glancing at the group in front of them pointedly before he looked back to Caroline and couldn't help but admire how she managed to look absolutely ravishing in what he assumed were her pajamas which consisted of a little dark blue tank top that hugged her breasts and belly along with plaid cotton pants and trainers.

Caroline looked over at the group, giving them all a hard glare which prompted them to turn away just as quickly as they had looked, which surprised Klaus because he was the one to normally cause such a reaction, apparently angry pregnant women were scary. Caroline turned around to resume giving Klaus a piece of her mind but was interrupted before she could start.

"What's taking so bloody long, Nik? Couldn't you have dropped me off first before you went grocery sh-" Kol whined as he came up to the pair and suddenly saw Caroline and a look of delight spread across his handsome face.

"Well, well, well, who do we have here? Hello again sweet Caroline. Fancy mee-" Kol abruptly stopped short as he caught sight of Caroline's swollen belly and with a look of surprise on his face as he asked almost too loudly "Who knocked you up?"

Caroline just pointed at Klaus.

Kol, who at first looked completely shocked at the prospect of his brother impregnating Caroline quickly recovered as his shock was soon replaced by laughter. "Nik got you pregnant? What a scandal!"

Caroline rolled her eyes at Kol's reaction while Klaus just glared at his younger brother.

"I can't wait until Bekah finds out about this." Kol wheezed between his laughter. "Or better yet, let's not tell her and have her find out like I did."

"Go wait outside Kol." Klaus growled, his hands balling into fists as he was ready to tear apart his bother.

"And why don't you go with him." Caroline said with a glare at Klaus.

"Oh dear, trouble in paradise already darling?" Kol smirked as he recovered from his laughter, his bright brown eyes dancing as he watched Caroline and Klaus with amusement.

"Shut it Kol." Klaus said as he took Caroline's shopping cart and pushed to the checkout stand once he noticed it stood empty, allowing the clerk to start to scan and bag the times.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Caroline said with surprise and anger in her voice as she watched Klaus take out his wallet and pay for the groceries.

"Damn it, Nik! I can pay for my own stuff."

"Well you are feeding my child, so I think I can pay for your food. Let's go." Klaus said as he took the bags from the clerk and started making his way out of the store with Caroline and Kol following close behind him.

"You know I think Kol Jr. has a really nice ring to it for a baby name and if it is a girl we can name her Kollett." Kol said to Caroline and Klaus, both of whom just ignored him.

"You know I can't feed your baby if you are taking my groceries with you."

"Well, I am taking you and your groceries home."

"You are not taking me home."

"Like hell I'm not taking you home." Klaus handed the bags to the driver to put in the trunk as he turned around to face Caroline. "First you put yourself and the baby at risk by going out in the middle of the night and then you think I am just going to let you walk home by yourself? Do you know how dangerous it is at night?" Klaus's voice rising with each word he said.

"I do now considering the most dangerous criminal in London is standing right in front of me. If I had known I would run into my jerk of an ex I would have totally waited until a more decent time of the day to go shopping." Caroline snapped back just as loudly.

"Actually darling I happen to be the most dangerous criminal in London _and _the most handsome." Kol said looking almost affronted that Caroline would give the most dangerous title to his brother.

Both of them ignore him as they continued to argue.

"Get in the car Caroline or so help me I will put you in there myself."

Caroline gave out an affronted gasp before glaring at Klaus once more. "You wouldn't dare."

"Try me, sweetheart." Klaus said in a quietly dangerous voice. Both Caroline and Klaus continued to glare at each other before Caroline relented and moved to climb into the back seat of the Ranger Rover. Not wanting Klaus to sit next to her she dragged Kol in with her so that Klaus would be forced to sit up front. It was petty, but at this point she would take what she could get.

"I always knew you preferred me over my brother, darling. And I want you to know I will make a wonderful step-father." Kol grinned as he settled back into the seat taking Caroline's hand in his own. Before she could pull her hand away, Kol was suddenly tugged back out of the SUV and pushed towards the front passenger side of the vehicle and Klaus was soon sitting where Kol had been moments before.

"Get in or I will leave you here to make your own way home." Klaus threatened Kol before shutting the back door, turning to look at a completely indignant Caroline.

Kol grumbled quietly as he opened the passenger side door and got in and as soon as his door closed the SUV started driving.

"Now love, I want you to promise me that next time you get a 2 a.m. craving that you will call me." Klaus said gently as he took her hand in his apparently trying the new tactic of asking rather than threatening.

"No." Caroline bit out as she removed her hand from his with a jerk of her arm.

"Yes, you will." Klaus said, his tone back to demanding.

"No, I won't."

Klaus growled softly as he met Caroline's eyes. "You will call me when you want something in the middle of the night or I will move you into my penthouse so I can keep an eye on you myself. I will not have you or my child's life endangered by your little middle of the night outings."

Caroline just snorted at his threat and looked away from him to gaze out the window.

"I'm serious Caroline."

"And I am seriously not going to call you."

"Caroline."

"Niklaus." Caroline said as she finally turned to look at him, her eye brows drawn up as she quipped his name.

Klaus took a steadying breath trying to calm both his anger and his lust. Last time she had called him that name was when he was buried deep inside of her.

"I wouldn't push this, love, because I _will_ move you into my place and make sure that no one in London will rent to you and that no hotel will take you in." His voice even and quiet holding a quality to it that impressed upon the listener that he was deadly serious.

Caroline glanced at his face and it reinforced the warning in his voice that he was indeed serious about his threat. He was an underground King, she knew he had the resources and connections to get it done.

Caroline looked away and didn't say anything, but she did give a nod, letting him know she would call him if she needed anything in the middle of the night. She wasn't even just pretending to agree, because she knew he would call her bluff and the last thing she needed was to be living with him. Plus he somehow found out about tonight and she wouldn't put it past him to find out if she slipped out again in the future. At least she could take pleasure in the fact that she would be waking his ass up in the middle of the night to get her food.

"Thank you, sweetheart." Klaus said with relief. Although there was a little part of him that hoped she would challenge him because he did want her living with him. He wanted to be near her every second he could, her and their little one. It was taking everything he had not to reach out and touch her stomach.

Kol of course had been watching the back and forth from the front of the SUV, looking between the two of them as if he was watching a tennis match.

"Come on, darling. You cannot give up that easy. It's always more fun when you push him to the point that he starts yelling. However, you have to make sure to keep pushing him until the vain against his forehead pops out, that way you know you really pissed him off, because that is the best part." Kol supplied helpfully with a grin across his face.

Before anyone could say anything the SUV came to a stop in front of Caroline's building. Both Caroline and Klaus got out of the SUV at the same time and made a bee line to the trunk leaving Kol disappointed that neither of them had responded to him.

Klaus arrived first, giving her a smirk as he opened the trunk and took out the grocery bags and started to walk into her building.

"I don't need you to carry my groceries in." Caroline said as she caught up with him, trying to tug the bags out of his hands, but to no avail. Klaus however was pleased with her effort because she was actually touching him, even if it was only his hand.

"It would be ungentlemanly for me to allow a lady to carry her own bags to her door." Klaus said with a smirk as he made his way into her building and through the corridor. Caroline gave up trying to pull the bags from his hands and just rolled her eyes and followed him until they came to a stop in front of her flat.

"Well you saw me to my door, so you can give me my bags and leave you bossy jerk."Caroline said as she held out her hand for her bags.

"At least let me carry them into the kitchen for you, sweetheart, after all you are pregnant, wouldn't want you to strain yourself." Klaus said with a smile, taking enjoyment out of taunting her.

"Just give me the bags, Nik."

Klaus just lifted his eyebrows as he held on to the bags making no move to give them to her as he waited for her to open the door. Both of them locked in a battle of wills as they stared each other down, neither of them willing to back down.

It was the loud growl of Caroline's stomach that caused her to fold. She was starving and if it meant she would eat sooner if she allowed Klaus to bring her groceries into the kitchen then so be it.

With a sigh she looked away and pulled out her keys and unlocked the door. Flipping on the light switch she made her way to the kitchen, Klaus following close behind. He set the bags onto the counter and stood back as Caroline went to work, putting some of the food away while opening others and snacking on them as she went through each item. It was when she was slicing up some of the cheese block and had a piece half way in her mouth that she remembered Klaus and turned to see that he had not yet left her flat. He was leaning casually against the wall, his arms crossed as he watched her, a thoughtful look on his handsome face that made her feel a little uneasy.

"Mmmm, you can go now."

"Why won't you give me another chance, sweetheart?"

Caroline swallowed the piece of cheese in her mouth and looked down for a moment not really wanting to have this conversation with him before looking back at him.

"I think I explained the reason clear enough last time we spoke."

"And as I said before, I am sorry." Klaus's voice was laced with sincerity.

"Sorry doesn't even begin to cover what you did to me. You used me Nik. _Used me_. You pretended to be my boyfriend so you could sleep with me. You knew my terms, that I wanted to be with you not just sleep with you. I thought we had an actual relationship. I thought you cared about me. And it was all a lie." Caroline laid into him, accusation prominent in her tone of voice as she worked herself into a righteous anger.

"I do care about you, sweetheart."

Those words came out automatically, without a second thought and it shocked the hell out of him. He wasn't supposed to admit things like that to her. He could barely admit it to himself. Bloody hell what was he thinking? Yet, Caroline carried on as if she truly did not get the significance of those words.

"You slept with me and then you left. You left and then you blocked my number. I was so worried about you. I thought you were hurt or something had happened. But you didn't _care_ about that did you? That I would worry for you. And then you then had your door man break up with me. Do you know how humiliating that was to have you dump me like that? To have some door man tell me you no longer wanted to see me like I was just another one of your whores. Where the hell was your caring for me then?"

She had thrown his words back into his face as if they were nothing. Klaus wasn't sure if he should be pleased or disappointed that his dirty little secret of his feelings meant nothing to her.

"Why? Why did you do it? Was I just a challenge? A trophy to be had?" Caroline's voice was cracking as she spoke, tears filling her eyes. "I loved you. And you broke my heart."

"Sweetheart….. I…" Klaus couldn't say anything else. He couldn't explain himself to her. Yet his heart swelled at her confession. She had said she loved him. Loved him. Mikael had said no one would ever love him, and yet here was this blonde ingénue who just said that she had loved him.

Had. That was the key word. Had he ruined it? And for what? His pride? All so he would not look weak? Yet, his position of power was everything. He did what was right for him at the time. There were too many moving parts to his kingdom to risk looking weak. It _had_ to be worth it.

Before he could say anything else she spoke again her voice a little bit stronger this time.

"And then you took Stefan away from me when I needed him the most to help me get over what you did to me and you made him leave the country all because he was standing up for me."

Klaus closed his eyes for a moment, his hands making fists so tight that his nails bit into his palms as the mention of his enforcer sparked his temper and brought forth his anger.

"He was a fool to attack me." Klaus growled out as he opened his eyes to meet her gaze, his eyes like hard chips of ice. He knew this was digging more of a hole for himself but he could not help it, he could never control his anger.

"That was no reason to run him out of town."

"Love, you don't understand just who I am. No one attacks me and remains unscathed."

"He's your friend." Her voice was soft and plaintive as she tried to reason with him.

"Was."

"And you wonder why I won't give you a second chance. Look at how you are punishing Stefan for doing the decent thing. Who was only trying to make you atone for what you did for me." The anger was back in her voice, her dark eyes flashing as she met his gaze.

"I am truly sorry love for what I did to you but I will not give Stefan a free pass." Klaus said firmly, his tone making it clear he would brook no argument on the subject.

Caroline just shook her head and turned away unable to look at him any longer, her voice sad and resigned. "Are you even listening to yourself? You ask for forgiveness when you yourself will not forgive."

"It isn't the same thing Caroline." Klaus glowered at her back, wanting to shake the beautiful little blonde in to seeing his side of things.

His comment only caused her anger to return.

"You broke my heart. He broke your face." Her voice scathing as she turned back to face him.

"You don't have a reputation to uphold!" Klaus practically roared trying to get it through Caroline's head how important it was for him to appear strong and ruthless and for that it would be impossible to allow Stefan a reprieve.

"No I don't have a reputation to uphold, only my dignity."

Her words cut him like a knife and his anger immediately receded. Again there it was, the heartlessness of his actions coming to collect their due from his conscience. It was beneath her dignity to give him a second chance, just like it would weaken his position to pardon his enforcer.

He felt loss in that moment. She was asking him to forgive Stefan so that he might have a chance for her to forgive him.

He didn't know what to say let alone what to think. The consequences of allowing Stefan to return were nothing to ignore. On the other hand Caroline seemed almost dead set against even thinking about forgiving him. He needed to think. He hated how complicated all of this was. He could hide his weakness of caring for Caroline behind her pregnancy because the world just saw it as him taking care of the mother of his child, but he wouldn't be able to hide his pardon of Stefan. There had to be some way that he could win her back without having to involve Stefan, he just had to figure out how.

He opened his mouth to apologize once more but she beat him to the punch.

"Don't bother saying sorry again." Her voice was soft and filled with a mix of anger and sadness.

Klaus tilted his head to the side his lips parting to take a breath before pressing together once more trying to find something to say to appease her but found nothing that would not leave him exposed. So he said nothing, not wanting to incense her any further.

With a sigh he walked over to her, pressing a soft kiss against her cheek and caressed her belly just as gently, unable to help himself from not only touching her but their child. He felt her go ridged under his touch and it pained him because he could remember when she would melt against him when he touched her.

"Good night, sweetheart. Remember to call me when you need something." Klaus said quietly as he made his way to the door, pausing to look at her for a moment as he opened the door his face full of longing before turning around and walking out the door, shutting it gently behind him.

Her shoulders lost their tension the moment the front door closed and Caroline let out a bone weary sigh as she leaned her hip against the counter. She had managed to survive another encounter with Klaus yet again.

Her eyes closed as she ran her hands over her belly, her thoughts drifting to her conversation with Klaus, running through their conversation word by word and in the middle of her reminiscence she recalled that she had told him that she had loved him. With a groan she buried her face into her hands in despair. How could she have admitted that to him? _Great job Caroline, let's give that jerk more of a reason to try and rekindle a relationship with you. _

Her thoughts of love brought to mind the fact that he had said that he had cared about her. That was the first time he had ever said anything about how he felt about her. She wasn't sure what to make of it because his actions had implied anything but caring about her. And again it didn't explain why he wanted to be with her. If he did care about her why did he leave in the first place?

The thoughts of her love for him and his possible caring for her coupled with the stress of the evening was enough to make her cry. She stifled a small sob as she hugged her stomach, trying desperately to hold it together but her hormones were having none of it and she could do nothing but cry, allowing herself to wallow in the misery of her circumstances.

It was a little while before she started to wind down from her tears and her thoughts were pulled to the kiss he had given her, her hand lifting to touch her wet cheek as she closed her eyes and imagined his soft lips against her skin once more. His kiss had felt nice, as did his hand against her belly. Again, she should hate him touching her but her body ached for him. How could pregnancy screw her over like this? _I'm already pregnant, body, what the hell more do you want? _Why was it that all she seemed to be able to do lately was cry over Klaus or want to fuck his brains out?

Shaking her head at her thoughts she brushed away the last of her tears and began cleaning up the kitchen. Once everything was tidy she moved to climbed into bed, kicking off her shoes as she snuggled under the covers.

When did her life become such a soap opera? Next she was going to find out that Klaus was not only a crime lord but he was also her mother's cousin's sister's neighbor's former roommate who used to be a stripper. She snorted with laughter at that thought as she rolled onto her back and rested her hands on her belly.

"What am I going to do about your daddy, baby?"

**XxX**

**Thoughts? Feelings? **

**Again – probably going to be a little while before I can get another chapter up, because of the whole let's get licensed so I can do business in the states. Blah. **


	16. Breakfast

**A/N – Hello party people! I have good news, good news and more good news. Which news would you like to hear first? The good news? Well ok then. I PASSED MY 63 EXAM! **Happy Dance** Yeah! So I can finally focus my time on writing! Yay! **

**And the other good news: I have been nominated in Klaroline Awards for Best Debut Fiction! OMG! I am so freaking honored! So thank you for those that nominated me and I want to give a special thank you to YOU! You guys were the one who encouraged me to turn my drabble into an actual story – so thank you so much because there would be no story without you guys. **

**Go out to klarolineawards . tumblr . com and check out all the nominees and if you are anything like me you will discover some awesome new fan fiction that you have not read yet. I literally did nothing but vote and read all day today. LoL.**

**And the more good news – A new chapter! **Kermit the frog going wild** Enjoy!**

**XxX**

Caroline gave a huff of annoyance as she dialed his number for the third time.

"Finally." She muttered softly as the phone was picked up, a husky voice murmuring a barely decipherable hello.

"Nik, get your ass up and get me some food."

"_Sweetheart?"_ Came the husky voice once more sounding almost confused at her request.

"Don't sweetheart me. Wake up and pick me up some food. I have already texted you a list of what I want. And remember that biscuits are rolls not freaking cookies!" She was still pissed off about the time he had showen up with a box of cookies and gravy instead of biscuits and gravy. Surprisingly the combination had proved to be pretty tasty, not that she would ever let him know that.

She could hear Klaus groaning as he pulled himself out of bed, his hand running over his face in effort to wake up.

"_I remember. I will be there as soon as I can, love." _

"If you are missing one thing off of that list I will hand you your ass on a platter. Do you understand me? One thing! Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, biscuits and gravy, tacos and a jar of peanut butter. All of it better be there or I will stab you with a fork." Caroline was pregnant, hungry and ready to throw down if she needed to because there was no messing around with her food.

Klaus was silent at that statement, not quite sure how to respond to the threat she threw at him. Anyone else who threatened him like that would have been dead before the last word was uttered. However, this was Caroline, his love, the woman who was carrying his child. He would never harm her and since he had already been the recipient of her irritability and anger more than once and he just took her threat in stride, knowing if he reacted to it that it would only make things worse for him.

"_I will make sure of it, sweetheart." _

Caroline hung up the phone and started to pace her small flat. Ever since Klaus had laid down his law about not going out in the middle of the night she had obeyed it up until he had sent his minions to meet her requests. She was beyond furious when they had shown up on her door step. Caroline had gotten Klaus on the phone within moments and had basically read him the riot act. She would be damned if she had to call him only to have him send his men. If he was going to force her to call him for her late night food runs then she was damn sure he was going to be the one to deliver the food. She basically told him if he ever sent them again he could forget about her calling him for her late night food runs.

Klaus had been at her beck and call for about a month now and the upside to that was that Caroline did enjoy having a personal delivery boy _and_ she got to wake Klaus up in the middle of the night. Unfortunately the down side was actually having to see Klaus. And Klaus of course took his deliveries as opportunities to try and pay penance for his transgressions against her.

He first followed the old tried and true method of forgiveness that most men follow: flowers. He brought her a fresh bunch every week, which she politely thanked him for and then threw them in the trash. Next he tried gifts which she promptly threw back in his face. It finally came to a point that Caroline basically told him he could not buy her forgiveness.

Where gifts and flowers had failed he tried words. He apologized to no avail, as Caroline said his words were meaningless without answers and again she would ask why he left in the first place which he would not answer and the whole cycle of flowers, gifts and words would start again.

It drove Caroline up the wall because all she wanted was answers from him. Why did he leave her? Why does he want her back now? And most of all she wanted Stefan back. Yet Klaus was as stubborn as an ox and that just left Caroline to endure the endless cycle of apologies.

It took about 40 minutes for Klaus to show up at her front door with only her food in hand surprisingly.

"Finally! You know it would have taken me half the time to go myself!" Caroline exclaimed as she rested her hands on her hips as she chastised him for his late arrival. He stood there tiredly with her bag of food in hand, his dirty blonde curls mussed from his pillow, dark circles under his eyes, his dark t-shirt and jeans wrinkled as he listened patiently to her complaint.

Caroline took the bag of food from his hand and moved to her little dining room set, setting the bag on the table she started pulling boxes out of the bag and opening them. The movement at the door caught her eye as Klaus turned to leave.

"Hey!"

Klaus paused, turning back around to look at her, a brow quirked up in question.

"Go sit your ass down. You are not leaving until I make sure you didn't forget anything. It is kind of hard to stab you with a fork if you are not here." Caroline said matter of factually as she turned back to the task at hand of inspecting her bounty of food.

Klaus sighed tiredly as he stepped into the flat, closing the door behind him and made his way to the couch. He fell gracelessly into the cushions and leaned his head back; his eyes fluttering close unable to keep the tiredness at bay. Normally Klaus would have taken the opportunity to try and talk to her again, to try and reason his way back into her good graces, but he was just too tired to state his case for forgiveness.

Caroline hummed contentedly as she shuffled through the bags. Taking alternate bites of whatever tasty delight each box revealed. It was when she found the jar of peanut butter that she was forced to find a spoon. Although she was tempted to drag her drum stick of chicken through the creamy delight, wondering just how tasty that combination would be when a snore drew her attention away from her food.

She saw that Klaus was fast asleep, splayed across her small sofa almost looking too big for it. Caroline set her food down and walked over to him, her hand absently rubbing her belly as she looked down at the father of her child asleep so peacefully on her couch. She felt a little bad at the thought of waking him up and kicking him out, given how exhausted he looked when he had come to drop off her food that she felt almost sorry for him. Of course that guilt was short lived as she remembered he had brought this upon himself.

She poked his face a few times with her finger, shook his shoulder and even called out his name a few times to see if he would awaken so she could kick him out, but he was down for the count. With a sigh she ran her hand absently through his curls before she laid him down. She pulled off his boots before lifting his legs onto the couch and pulling a blanket over him. Even going far as to tuck him in making sure he was warm and comfortable.

A scowl crossed her features as she chastised herself for being so nice to him; obviously pregnancy turned her into a freaking mother hen. She rolled her eyes as she made her way out of her flat and to the Range Rover that was parked to the side of the street waiting for Klaus to come back. Caroline let the driver know that Klaus was going to be staying the night and that he would text him in the morning to come and pick him up.

The driver just gave her a nod and drove away. Caroline was surprised at how easily he took her word for it. Klaus was a crime lord after all; shouldn't his people be more diligent about his enemies hurting him or something? But then again the driver probably wasn't overly concerned with Klaus being in danger from a woman who looked like she was smuggling a basketball under her shirt.

Once Caroline was back inside she shut and locked the door, slipped off her shoes and went back to her food. She polished most of it off, leaving only one taco, the rest of the peanut butter and some mashed potatoes left over. She quickly put away the leftovers and made her way over to her bed, slowing as she neared Klaus on the couch.

She had never seen him sleep before and he looked almost angelic. Caroline eased herself down to sit on the coffee table and just watched him sleep, wondering how a man who looked so sweet while sleeping managed to break her heart. Caroline sighed as she leaned over and brushed her hand against his stubbled cheek unable to resist the guilty pleasure of touching him which caused Klaus to shift in his sleep.

Her heart ached as she watched him sleep. She was still in love with the heartless bastard, not that she would ever let him know that after he hurt her like he did. But she wasn't going to lie to herself about her feelings for him. She often wished that things had turned out differently for them. Caroline liked to think that they would be happy had things been different. She sighed as she pushed herself up, caressing his cheek one last time before making her way to bed.

"And you just had to go and ruin it you dumb jerk."

* * *

Caroline woke up to the smell of bacon which was absolutely delightful but confusing all the same seeing as she didn't remember making bacon last night. Her eyes fluttered open as she came awake and realized that it freshly frying bacon that she was smelling. With a groan she pushed herself up into a sitting position, her hand moving absently to her belly as she looked towards the kitchen and found the father of her child at the stove cooking breakfast.

"Nik?"

Klaus glanced over at his shoulder as his name was called, a smirk coming to his lips as he looked over the beautiful blonde who was completely mussed from her slumber with her hair in disarray and sleep still evident on her face. He wondered if he had stayed that night he had slept with her if she would have woken up next to him looking the same, only her hair and sleepiness would have been caused by his night of ravishing her rather than just sleeping.

"Good morning, sweetheart."

"Why are you cooking breakfast?" Not that she was complaining, waking up and having breakfast freshly made was her idea of a good time now that she was pregnant. No bagel and orange juice for her this morning.

"You were kind enough to allow me to stay for the evening I thought I would return the favor and make you breakfast, love."

Caroline just gave a slight nod of her head and slid out of bed, stumbling into the bathroom. Klaus felt his breath catch at the sight of her long legs that her sleep shorts displayed beautifully. Pregnancy had done nothing but make Caroline even more beautiful and he would swear that she was absolutely glowing.

He wanted this. He wanted to wake up every morning with her, to make her breakfast, to have her in his bed. He wanted to see her hair mussed and her glowing skin. Mostly he just wanted her back with him.

A soft grunt drew his attention away from his thoughts and his cooking as he turned to cause the source of the noise and saw Caroline, who was standing just outside of the kitchen with an odd facial expression that could only be described as a grimace mixed with a smile as her hand rested against the side of her swollen stomach.

"Caroline? Are you ok, love?" Klaus said with concern as he moved away from the stove to Caroline's side. His hand gently touching her shoulder as his eyes moved over her small frame looking for the cause of what could be ailing her.

Caroline gave him a small smile as she slid her hand along her belly. "I'm fine, monkey just kicked me really hard.

"Kicked you?" Klaus said as his eyes fell from her face to look at her belly, a look of longing crossing his features when he realized what she was talking about. He wanted ask if he feel the baby kicking but he wasn't going to ask because if could because he was be afraid that Caroline would get mad that he would even ask to touch her and kick him out, something he didn't want to risk given that she was being so civil with him today.

Caroline caught the look and her heart clenched, she wanted to resist but all she could feel was him tugging on her heart strings. This was his child too and she remembered how thrilled she was when she first felt her baby move. Did she really want him to miss that experience?

Caroline looked back at Klaus who was still looking at her stomach with longing and she just rolled her eyes and took his hand, placing it against the side of her belly where she had felt the kick, moving it only slightly as she felt the baby shift.

Klaus was shocked when Caroline had taken his hand and placed it onto her belly. He never thought she would willingly allow him to feel the baby kicking because that meant touching her, which she went out of her way to avoid. He was beyond please that he was going to get the chance to feel his baby move and he tried to focus on the movement of her belly rather than how warm she felt or how soft her hands were as she held his hand against her stomach. He was close enough to her that the scent of honey and lavender filled his senses, the scent that was uniquely Caroline.

Caroline could help but be affected by their closeness with the feel of his hand on her stomach and how close he was to her made her flush with want. His touch brought her thoughts back to when they were at the laundry mat together and how intimately he had touched her, not to mention all the places he had touched her. She quickly pulled her mind off of that trail of thoughts given that her hormones were on overdrive and she didn't want to drive herself crazy enough to jump the man who she had been constantly fantasizing about. She may hate the jerk but it still didn't take away from the fact that she did have the best sex of her life with him.

The moment Klaus felt the baby kick all his thoughts about how much he wanted Caroline were replaced with the thrill of feeling his baby move. As soon as Caroline felt the baby kick she looked up, wanting to catch Klaus' reaction and smiled when she saw the look of pure joy on his face, his expression causing his dimples to come out in full force as he looked down at her stomach in wonder.

They stood that way for a while, Caroline moving his hand around her stomach so he could continue to feel their baby kick, both of them with huge smiles on their faces. It was the smell of burning bacon that finally pulled them out of their happy little bubble. Klaus dropped his hand from her stomach and hurried to the stove, groaning at the sight of the blackened bacon. He quickly removed the burning food and tossed it into the trash as he shook his head at his forgetfulness.

Caroline just laughed at him as she made her way to the dining room table and slid into a chair, watching him as he moved to the fridge, giving Caroline with a playful smile and a wink as he pulled out the bacon, finding humor in the situation as well.

Surprisingly Caroline enjoyed the easy moment between them; she was tired of the constant fighting. She wasn't going to forgive him, but at some point she had to start mending their relationship to the point where they could raise their child without arguing. She was going to be a mom and he was going to be a dad, they needed to work this out somehow. Caroline was not going to subject their child to a hostile environment.

They were cordial during breakfast, limiting their topics to very banal things that wouldn't cause an end to their ceasefire for the moment. When they finished up Caroline thanked Klaus for cooking and excused herself, making her way to the restroom with a comment about the baby using her bladder as a soccer ball.

"Foot ball, love." Klaus corrected absently as he watched her walk away from him, enjoying the fact that she was still wearing her sleep shorts and a tank top. A please smile etched on his face brought about by the fact that he not only got to have breakfast with his girl he also got to feel his baby kick. All in all he was pleased with the morning so far.

Klaus was in the middle of cleaning up the dishes when he heard her cell phone ring, and apparently Caroline heard it as well as she yelled through the bathroom door asking him to answer it for her and that she would be out in a minute.

Klaus picked up the cell phone, his brow shooting up as he answered.

"Hello, Caroline's phone."

"_Well, well, well, Barbie got herself an answering service. Look at her being all important. Do you take messages too? Because I would like you to tell her if she needs any other servicing I am available for her at any time if you know what I mean. Also make sure to add that I give _excellent_ customer service."_

Klaus felt his temper rising at just what the caller was insinuating, he would be damned if he allowed anyone to touch his girl.

"You have the wrong idea about Caroline, mate. She isn't available."

"_You must be Barbie's flavor of the week. I wouldn't get comfortable though because it is only a matter of time before she drops you and comes to me. I mean sure you might think you are a catch and all but girls just can't resist my good looks, my style, my charm and my unflinching ability to listen to Taylor Swift."_

Klaus ignored the flavor of the week comment because he knew Caroline wasn't like that.

"I am the father of her child, so I very much doubt she will be dropping me anytime soon."

"_Oh! Is this Ken? I didn't realize you and Barbie had made up. And she didn't say anything about it that naughty little minx. By the way I have to ask ….. has she tried any of that S&M stuff with you? She seemed to be really into that when we last talked about you. Oh, and tell me another thing, is she a wild cat in the sack? I hear that having sex with a pregnant woman will blow your mind."_

"Say another word about Caroline like that and I will rip out your tongue."

Klaus was seething, his hand flexing in and out of a fist ready to do some damage to the man on the other side of the line. The man on the other side of the line obviously didn't know who he was dealing with. Caroline came out of the bathroom at that moment catching the tail end of the conversation and she quickly rushed over to Klaus and pulled the phone out of his hand, checking the screen to see who he was talking too, rolled her eyes once she caught sight of the name and put the phone up to her ear as she lifted her other hand to rest on Klaus' chest in effort to calm him.

"Damn it, Damon. Did you really have to rile him up like that?"

Caroline could see Klaus slowly start to relax, as it was another thing he loved about his girl, her ability to calm him down.

"_Of course I did, makes it fun. So when were you going to tell me that you and Ken got back together?"_

"We didn't get back together." Her eyes met Klaus' for a moment before she turned away, her hand dropping from his chest as she made her way to the couch to sit down, Klaus following her with his eyes before he turned to go back into the kitchen.

"_Just bang buddies then? Because he did say you guys were together. I told you before Blondie that I am more than willing to be your sex slave."_

Caroline rolled her eyes at that, annoyed that Klaus would tell Damon they were together.

"We are not bang buddies either. And as for your offer….. thanks, but no thanks."

"_Are you sure Blondie? Because I don't mean to brag, well actually I do mean to brag." _Caroline could swear she could hear him smirk through the phone.

"_I am the total package. I just got done telling Ken all about it. Pretty sure he is into me too with that talk about ripping out my tongue. I'm sure there are other things he would like to rip off of me as well, starting with my shirt. If you want I can text you a picture of me shirtless so you can show it to him."_

"Please don't. I just ate breakfast."

"_Come on, Barbie. I know you want to see my gorgeous body again. _

"Oh yes, Damon, I totally want to see you shirtless again." Caroline said sarcastically before a loud bang drew her attention to the small kitchen where Klaus was currently doing the dishes. She could tell by the scowl on his face that he was listening to her conversation.

Caroline smirked at his obvious jealousy and just shook her head as she turned her attention back to her conversation with Damon.

"_Knew you couldn't resist me."_

"Anyway, Damon, what do you want?"

Damon's voice became serious as he addressed the real reason for his phone call.

"_Have you heard from Stefan? I haven't gotten a text from him in weeks."_

Caroline sighed as she glanced at Klaus once more before she spoke.

"I got a text from Stefan last week letting me know he was ok."

"_He has been gone for five months Caroline. When the hell is his sabbatical going to be over?"_

Klaus had turned at the mention of Stefan. He kept his face blank as he met Caroline's eyes. He could see the sadness etched on her face and he felt the guilt clutch at his chest. He hated that he hurt Caroline but his pride battled with his guilt at driving Stefan away.

"I don't know, Damon. I hope it is soon." Caroline said looking at Klaus meaningfully. He looked away unable to maintain eye contact with her. Damon could hear the pain in her voice and knew that Caroline missed his brother as much as he did.

"_Me too, Barbie. Me too."_

They ended the conversation soon after that. Caroline and Klaus were awkwardly quiet after the phone call. Stefan was back on the table and they both knew their positions on the subject. It was a while before Caroline found her voice.

"If we are going to raise our baby together, we need to be on some sort of good terms."

Caroline's voice drew his eyes to he, she was busy fiddling with the phone before she looked up at him to make eye contact.

"Like friends?"

"Possibly, but the thing is that friends trust each other and If you want to be friends we need to trust each other. Friendship, stage one: show me I can trust you. Let Stefan come back."

"I told you no, Caroline. You know what it would do to my reputation to have him come back. I will not have my hand forced by you." Klaus said angrily as he strode over to the couch to face her. Caroline struggled to stand up so that she could come face to face with him.

"I am not forcing your hand! I just want to be able to trust you, to know that you are not going to leave again. Leave me and our child." Caroline cried out, her eyes searching his for some kind of reassurance.

"I gave you my word Caroline."

"And we just know how trust worthy your word is." Caroline sneered angrily. "I want action. I want to see that you are serious about your promises and we can't be friends if I can't trust you."

Klaus growled as he turned away from the small blonde and started to pace the flat. Her words sent a dagger of shame straight through his heart. He wanted her to trust him, to know that he was going to be there for her and their baby, but he was damned if he was going to allow Stefan back to get her to trust him again.

"There must be another way."

"No! There isn't another way. I am going to have a baby Nik! A baby in a foreign country without my friends and family. I need my best friend to help me. I need you to help me. I need to know I can trust that you are not going to leave me on my own."

"I won't leave you again, I told you that. You have me and that should be enough."

"No Nik, that isn't going to be enough! Do you even understand what it is going to be like to be a parent? Do you understand how difficult this is going to be? This isn't something that you can just throw money at or hire someone to take care of it for you. It is going to be a lot of work and you need a support system for that. I need to be able to trust that support system. We both do."

"We have my family."

"Oh yeah, your family, who you conveniently forgot to tell that I am pregnant with your child." Caroline spat out as she crossed her arms and glared at the man in front of her. He was making it increasingly difficult to want to be his friend when all he seemed to be able to do was dig his own grave a little deeper.

Klaus looked at her and then looked down to the floor, his mouth working open and close while he tried to think of an explanation that wouldn't add to her anger. Truth was he didn't want his family interfering with Caroline until he had her back in his arms.

Of course Caroline didn't know that so she was free to make her own conclusions about why he had kept her pregnancy away from his family and her conclusions did not do him any favors. In fact it made things worse because if he was going to keep her from his family that meant he probably wasn't going to be sticking around.

"You know what? I'm done. Get out." Caroline said as she pointed to the door.

"Sweetheart….."

"No. Get the hell out of my apartment."

Klaus sighed and moved to kiss her cheek as he normally did when he left her but stilled when she gave him a look that promised that she was going to slap the shit out of him if he tried it. How she went from upset to seething anger so fast he wasn't quite sure, although he suspected her pregnancy had something to do with it.

Giving her one last apologetic look, he pulled on his shoes and made his way to the front door, his body going ridged as he opened the door and came to a stand still.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?"

**XxX**

**Who could be at the door?! **

**Tell me what you thought of the chapter. I loooooove your reviews. Looooooooooove.**


	17. Lunch

**A/N – Thanks for all the congrats and the votes. You really know how to spoil a girl you animal you. And OMG over 400 follows! And almost 500 reviews! I'm gonna faint! Thank you everyone for supporting this story – love you guys so much! As I was writing this I got word that I won for best fiction debut for the Klaroline Awards. Insanity people! Especially with who I was up against. Thank you to everyone who voted for me you are so awesome. And I just want to say it was an honor to be nominated along with my fellow nominees – make sure you check out their stories because they are awesome. **

**I also wanted to thank you to everyone for your patience with me – I apologize with how slow I am to update. I am not a prolific writer so it takes me a while to churn chapters out. **

**Also – kudos for those who guessed correctly about who it was at the door. Kind of reminds me of American Gothic "Someone's at the door." Did you guys ever watch that show? I really liked that show. **

**So Now ….Let's Get Ready To Ruuuuummmmmble! **

**Mwah!**

**XxX**

"I came to see the dirty little secret you have been hiding from the family, Nik."

Klaus groaned as he looked over his shoulder to Caroline who looked like she had gone from seething to nuclear with that one little sentence. Klaus turned back to the blonde who was standing at the front door, looking polished and sleek in a simple white summer suit with bright pink heels and a Louis Vuitton clutch in her hand.

"Rebekah, love, now is not the time to meet Caroline."

"Oh? And when am I going to meet her? Is there a reason you haven't introduced her to the rest of the family, Nik? Let alone tell us you are going to be a father. Afraid the baby isn't yours? Maybe now you will stop sleeping with trollops." Rebekah taunted her favorite brother as she glanced over his shoulder to get a good look at the woman who was apparently to bear her brother a child.

Before Klaus could say another word Caroline came forward and pushed Klaus out of the way so she could come toe to toe with the bitchy blonde. They looked quite the contrast standing together with Caroline still in her gray tank top and white sleep shorts and Rebekah dressed as if she was ready to take the catwalk.

"Care to say that to my face?"

"An American trollop at that, I would have thought you'd have better taste, Nik." Rebekah said as met Caroline's eyes, a hard smirk on her lips that reminded Caroline so much of Klaus in that moment.

"Who are you to judge me? You don't even know me!"

Klaus watched the whole exchange like a man who was waiting for lethal injection. This was all he needed right now was his girl and his sister to be up in arms against each other.

"Well I know my brother and he never spends more than one night with a woman, which by default makes you one of his many trollops."

Klaus just rubbed his forehead in defeat as his sister was doing a fine job of digging his hole that much deeper.

"I went out with your brother for four months. If anyone here is going to be labeled a trollop it would be Nik given his never ending parade of women."

Caroline could see a little glint of something she could not name in Rebekah's blue eyes as she looked between Caroline who looked annoyed and Klaus who was trying very hard to keep an amused smirk off of his face at Caroline calling him a trollop.

"Lijah said Nik was enamored with some girl last year, must have been you." Rebekah mused as she looked Caroline over once more. Caroline rolled her eyes and turned away from the bitchy blonde to glare at Klaus.

"I believe I told you to leave and you can take your charming sister with you." Caroline said as she pulled open the door wider and waved her hand motioning him through.

"Kol did say something about the two of you having a falling out." Rebekah said, noting the hostility between Caroline and Klaus. Instead of just standing out in the hall she took the opening of the door as an invitation to come in rather than to leave.

"I did say something about a falling out." Kol smirked as he followed his sister inside Caroline's flat.

"Although since our dear brother didn't make it home last night I can assume they have made up. And given the state of sweet Caroline's hair they must have had a ravishing good time." Kol said as he turned to face Caroline and picked up one of her hands and pressed a kiss against her knuckles.

"Hello, darling, lovely to see you again. How is Kol Jr. coming along? Or should I say Kollette?" Kol asked as his eye's dropped from hers to observe her swollen belly.

Rebekah turned at the sound of her brother's voice, her brows furrowing in confusion.

"What are you doing here?"

Kol didn't wait for Caroline to answer his question before he answered his sister.

"What? You actually thought I would miss out on this?" Kol said as he waved his hands around the room before making his way to the couch and made himself comfortable, his arms stretching out to rest against the back of the couch and smiled.

"This is going great and all but the best part was when I told Rebekah about the impending addition to our family. Absolutely priceless!" Kol told Caroline and Klaus with a huge grin.

When Kol had dropped the whole, Klaus' having a baby and you are going to be an aunt bomb, Rebekah had at first thought it was one of Kol's pranks. Convincing his sister that he was absolutely serious was one of the hardest things he had ever done. He had to go so far as to call one of Klaus' drivers and confirm Klaus had been going on late night food runs for some pregnant woman.

Saying Rebekah had flipped out would be an understatement. She flipped out to the point that Kol almost regretted telling her. Almost. Within moments of calming down Rebekah was out the door and headed to Caroline's, as Kol had not only told her the address but also had found out through their driving service that Klaus was at Caroline's as well. Two birds with one stone. Kol couldn't have planned it better himself.

Caroline covered her eyes with her hand as she stood there in complete shock at having half of the Mikaelson family in her flat. She almost expected the rest of Klaus' brothers to show up any moment. It was liked she jinxed herself when she yelled at Klaus about his family.

She was brought out of her musings as she felt his hand slide against her lower back and another hand grazing the soft skin of her arm. Klaus leaned down and pressed a kiss against her temple as he murmured softy against her hair.

"I apologize, sweetheart. I didn't know they would show up like this."

Caroline's hand dropped from her eyes as she rested both hands against his chest and for a moment she let herself find comfort in his embrace. She missed the feel of having someone holding her. No, she didn't miss the feel of someone holding her; she missed the feel of _him_ holding her.

When the moment passed angry Caroline was put back in place and with that she gave him a hard shove back, forcing him back away from her.

"This wouldn't have happened if you had told them about the baby in the first place!"

"Guess they haven't made up." Kol smirked as he watched the situation unfold with glee.

"Yes, Nik, why didn't you tell the family about the baby?" Rebekah asked as she crossed her arms and leaned her hip against the arm of the couch gazing at her brother who had a disappointed look on his face from having Caroline push him away.

"My business is my own, little sister."

"Not when it involves us getting a new member of our family!"Rebekah scowled as she stood up to come closer to Klaus.

Klaus growled as he ran his fingers through his hair clearly unhappy with the whole situation. He wasn't sure how his day, which had started so well with breakfast with his girl and feeling his baby kick to having Caroline beyond angry with him and two of his siblings making things that much worse. He glanced Caroline for a moment who was waiting just as expectantly for the answer as his sister was. Anything short of the truth would only prove detrimental to the relationship he was trying to desperately to mend.

"I wanted to get my relationship with Caroline settled before I told you lot."

"It doesn't look like that plan is working out to well for you." Kol snickered as he looked between an angry Caroline and an irritated Klaus.

As angry as Caroline was, she was relieved by his answer. He wasn't hiding the fact they were going to have a baby because he wanted to leave her again; he was trying to fix their relationship before his family became involved.

"Shut it Kol." Rebekah and Klaus said in unison as they glared at their brother.

"Ok, well I would say it was nice of you to drop by, but it wasn't so if all of you could be on your way." Caroline said as she stood next to the open door once more and tried to wave them out.

"Actually you are going to be coming with us. Since you are the mother of my future niece or nephew you are going to be having lunch with the entire family in about an hour." Rebekah said confidently as she strode back over to the couch and sat next to Kol making herself comfortable.

Apparently after Kol had told Rebekah about the baby she had called an emergency family meeting and told everyone to meet for lunch. Rebekah had gone to Caroline's for the specific purpose of collecting her and Klaus and bring them to the family meeting.

"Caroline, sweetheart – "

"Don't you even start!" Caroline growled as she rounded on Klaus, her finger coming to rest against his chest as she gave him a glare that would send lesser men to their knees.

"You wanted my family to know of our baby, well have at it. Go get dressed and we can share the good news." Klaus said in a placating voice as he lifted his hand to brush a few stray curls from her face.

"I can't just drop everything for some family lunch, Nik. I have things to do."

"Not today you don't." Klaus said as he glanced meaningfully over at the calendar that was on her tact board with the day in question having no appointments pending.

Caroline glanced at the calendar and frowned before she looked at Klaus once more, knowing she was pretty much boxed in. She couldn't very well say she didn't want to see his family when she had already tried kicking him out for _not_ telling his family about the baby. She had no choice but to go.

"You sister is the only reason we are going to meet your family. Do not think you can take any sort of credit for telling your family about our baby." Caroline hissed as she flounced off towards her closet pulling out a dress before moving towards the bathroom and shutting the door.

"Actually I should get the credit for telling the family about the baby since I told Rebekah and then she told the rest of the family." Kol complained, but of course no one was really listening to him.

"I like her." Rebekah smiled as she looked at the bathroom door before looking at her brothers.

"Well that would be a first considering you don't like anyone." Klaus said as he leaned back against the wall his arms folding across his chest as he glowered at his younger siblings.

"Which is also the reason you don't have any friends." Kol smirked as he dodged a smack from his sister.

Rebekah frowned at both of her brother before crossing her arms and leaning back in to the sofa and turned her attention to the décor of the flat.

"She's got passable taste. You could have done much worse."

"Are you drunk sister? I haven't heard so many nice things come out of your mouth in a week let alone half an hour." Kol asked as he leaned forward to smell her breath.

Rebekah just rolled her eyes and the siblings continued to bicker while Caroline got ready.

Caroline emerged from the bathroom 20 minutes later dressed in a green and gray maxi dress, her hair piled up into a messy bun and a light dash of makeup, at least enough to cover the dark circles under her eyes because honestly being pregnant was exhausting. Caroline gave the three intruders of her home a hard glare as she moved to pull on a white cardigan and her yellow Tory Burch flats.

Rebekah stood up and gave Caroline a look over once more, a slight nod in approval in her choice of outfit and made her way out the door with Kol following her out. Klaus came up to Caroline and rested his hand against her lower back as he escorted her out the front door.

"I apologize for my sister, love. She can be quite mean."

"Don't be an arse, Nik." Rebekah called out as she continued walking out of the building.

There were two Range Rovers waiting at the curb, Kol and Rebekah got into one and Klaus and Caroline in the other. Caroline would be lying if she said that she was not nervous to face the entire Mikaelson clan. She had met only three of the brothers and only one or two at a time. To meet all six siblings at once was daunting. Her distraction was enough that she barely noticed that Klaus was holding her tightly against his side, his other hand resting possessively on her rounded stomach. When Caroline finally did notice how he was holding her she smacked his hand and slid away from him, giving him a reproachful glare for even trying that with her. Klaus just gave her a slight shrug, not even sorry for his actions.

When they arrived at the restaurant Caroline felt a wave of apprehension overtake her. Klaus felt her body go ridged as he assisted her out of the SUV and he gently gathered her in his arms, his hand sliding against her back as he ran his knuckles across the curve of her cheek.

"Easy, love. I will be right next to you. It is going to be ok." Caroline looked up to meet his eyes and found reassurance there. She gave him a slight nod and he settled his hand along the curve of her lower back and assisted her into the restaurant which was some fancy Italian place.

The hostess led them towards the back of the restaurant to one of the private rooms. Once again Klaus was made aware of the male eyes that were on his girl as they made their way through the restaurant and he made sure to meet each one with a hard glare. Although he could not blame them for looking because Caroline was absolutely stunning, even more so now with that lovely pregnancy glow that she had about her.

Everyone was already seated at the table when Klaus and Caroline entered the private dining area as Caroline moved at a slower pace due to her present condition and Kol and Rebekah had made it to the table well before them. All of the men save Kol stood at their entrance. Elijah came forward almost immediately at their entrance, moving towards Caroline to pull her into a hug mindful of her belly.

"Elijah." Caroline said warmly as she hugged him back gently.

"Miss Forbes, a pleasure to see you again."

"You know I told you to call me Caroline." Caroline said reproachfully as they broke apart.

"Of course, Caroline. Considering you are now family it was foolish of me to address you otherwise."

Caroline looked at his with confusion but quickly set at ease as he glanced meaningfully at her swollen belly.

Before she could even respond Finn was in front of her, a small smile on his lips as he pressed a kiss both of her cheeks. Her distraction with Finn making her miss the disapproving look Elijah shot Klaus not only for the impromptu news but also the fact that Klaus was still dressed in his winkled jeans and Henley he had slept in the night before. Klaus just shrugged as there was no way he was going to leave Caroline alone with his family just so he could change clothes.

"Caroline, lovely to see you again, please allow me to introduce you to my wife Sage."

"It is good to see as well Finn." Caroline smiled as the pretty red head came forward and shook her hand.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you."

"And you as well." Sage said quietly as she released Caroline's hand from hers.

Elijah smiled as he pulled a young man who was the spitting image of himself before her.

"This is Henrick our youngest brother."

The teenager smiled tentatively as he met Caroline's eyes, his hand coming out to grasp hers.

"Hi." He murmured shyly as he looked at Caroline before his eyes dropped to his feet and shuffled them to and fro as he released her hand. Caroline had remembered Klaus telling her about his youngest brother Henrick. He had only been 14 when their mother and her husband had been killed in that car wreck. Finn and his wife had taken custody of the young boy and were now raising him.

"Hello. It is so nice to finally meet you Henrik. I have heard so much about you." Caroline said sweetly which seemed to put the teenager at ease.

Rebekah just gave Caroline a slight nod in greeting while Kol gave her a leer and a wink.

Klaus helped Caroline into her seat and he took the opportunity of her distraction to send a glare to all of his sibling in warning to behave, his look promising that if they so much as upset his girl there would be hell to pay.

They made small talk as they all looked over the menus not really ready to discuss the reason that they were gathered together yet.

The waiter came around once more after their drinks had been delivered and was ready to take their orders. He started at the head of the table and made his way around. It was when he came to Caroline that the whole table went quiet as she started to order.

"I would like the chicken parm with the pasta pesto, as well as the ravioli di bello. I also want the goat cheese pizza and do you think they could add french fries oh, I mean chips, do you think they could put on chips on top of the pizza or do you think it is better to just order them on the side and then put them on top of the pizza?"

"Probably best to order them on the side." The waiter said awkwardly as he looked from the pregnant woman to the people around the table, most of who were avoiding his gaze save Kol who was absolutely amused by her order and Klaus who was used to her odd food cravings just gave the waiter a taunting arch of his brows as the waiter would find no help from him with his girl's order.

"Good idea. Can I also get some bruschetta and can you add bacon on top of that?"

"Bacon….? On top of the bruschetta?" The waiter asked, his brows furrowing in confusion. Caroline just looked up at him and gave him a smile and a nod, perfectly serious about her request.

"Uh, I will see what I can do."

"Thanks!" Caroline chirped as she handed her menu to the waiter who still looked perplexed at her order.

Klaus was happy to see that some of Caroline's uneasiness had somewhat subsided, thanks to the warm greetings from his brothers, save Kol, and of course food. Klaus realized she was always in a better frame of mind when there was food involved.

There was a shift in mood once the waiter had left the room. Apparently it was time to address the elephant in the room. Elijah shifted in his seat, his hands smoothing his suit jacket against his chest before looking up to address Caroline and Klaus.

"When did you plan on telling us about the impending addition to our family, Niklaus?"

"Probably when he had finally wooed the fair Caroline back into his bed." Kol said with a mischievous smirk as he looked between his two older brothers, one keeping a cool facade the other looking as if he was ready to strangle his younger brother.

Caroline placed her hand on Klaus' knee, giving him a meaningful look, reminding him not to get pulled into Kol's games. Again, how Caroline managed to keep his temper on a leash he would never understand but he was grateful for it as he was never one for patience.

"Caroline and I are trying to work things out between us before I thought it was the right time to tell the family." Klaus said simply enough, trying to keep to the same honestly that he had shared with Kol and Rebekah earlier that day.

"And why would you need to work things out between you and Caroline?" Henrik asked innocently, unaware of the fallout that most of the family had been aware of given the fact that Caroline and Klaus were together all the time until Klaus was suddenly on his own, consistently in a bad mood and unwilling to even look at another woman. They didn't know what had happened, but they did know that the couple had not parted on good terms.

"Your brother was being a jerk." Caroline said as she looked around the table challenging anyone who would gain say her.

Before Henrik could protest her unkind words about his brother, as his faith in his brothers was unbroken, Klaus owned up to his sins.

"She is right. I betrayed her trust and I was hoping to fall into her good graces once more before I wanted the family to know about the baby." Klaus said as he looked directly at Caroline with an apology written on his face.

Caroline caught the look and just shook her head before turning away.

"As we can see, our dear brother seems to be falling on his face instead of into Caroline's good graces." Kol said as he leaned back in his seat and took a drink of his wine.

Rebekah just ignored her brother's antics and leaned forward, her elbows resting on the table before speaking.

"That is no excuse, Nik. This is a new family member we are talking about, you should have told us immediately."

"I agree, Niklaus. I understand you wanted to improve on your relationship with Caroline, but this is family and family always comes first." Elijah chimed in.

"I am aware of that, Elijah, and family will always come first and Caroline and this baby are now part of our family and they are my priority." Klaus said as he slid his arm around Caroline's shoulders.

There was a stunned silence that accompanied Klaus' statement. Caroline was probably the one who was most effect by the statement, because it was one thing to have him tell her that her that he was going to take care of and be there for her and the baby but to tell his entire family was a whole other thing. Let alone the fact that he basically told them he would put Caroline and his child first before any of them.

Before anyone could say anything three waiters appeared with trays of food. They bustled around the table, delivering plates of food to their intended recipient asking each of them if there was anything else that they needed. All of them except for Sage and Henrik replied absently as they were still in a state of shock at what Klaus had just said.

Once the waiters left, Klaus looked at the assembled family members and shook his head. "I don't know why you are all surprised. Finn did the same thing when he married Sage."

"Yeah, but this is _you_." Kol said as if that statement alone was explanation enough.

"Yes, me. Me and my girl and my child." Klaus glared at his siblings daring them to challenge his devotion to his new family.

Elijah coughed in an effort to bring some normalcy back to their lunch. "Let's eat then, shall we?"

Caroline shrugged off Klaus' arm and gave him a look that they would be having a talk once they were alone, as it was obvious to him that she had caught the 'my girl' bit and was not happy about it at all.

They ate in silence for a bit before Rebekah decided to speak.

"So, Caroline, are you having a boy or a girl?"

Caroline looked up at the blonde Mikaelson and paused from biting into a slice of pizza that was covered in fries and pasta. She set the piece of pizza (if you could even call it that at this point) down and gave her a slight smile.

"I don't know the gender of the baby yet, I have been going back and forth with wanting to know or just keeping it a surprise until the baby is born."

"What do you think, Nik? Do you want to know or do you want to keep it a surprise?" Rebekah asked as she took a bite of her dish.

Klaus glanced at Caroline for a moment before looking to his sister.

"Whatever Caroline wants is perfectly ok with me."

"I didn't ask what Caroline wanted, I asked what you wanted."

"Rebekah." Elijah warned sternly as he caught her gaze. Rebekah just shrugged and looked back at Klaus, her eyebrows rising as she waited for his answer.

"He is wrapped around sweet Caroline's little finger. I doubt he knows what he wants for breakfast without asking her first." Kol snickered.

Before things could get too out of hand Sage spoke up in an effort to change the subject.

"Have you thought of any names yet?"

Caroline looked at Klaus for a moment before looking to Sage ready to answer her question but was interrupted before she could speak.

"Kol Jr if it is a boy and Kollette if it is a girl." Kol said confidently as he looked over to Caroline and gave her a wink.

"We are not naming our child after you Kol." Klaus growled as he glared at his younger brother.

Caroline gave a nod of agreement before answering Sage.

"No names yet, but we should probably think of some soon."

"I like the name George." Henrik said shyly as he looked between Caroline and Klaus. Klaus just smiled at his younger brothers suggestion, his finger coming to his lips while holding his fork as if to easy any laughter that was about to come forth.

"You want to name the baby after the new Prince?" Klaus asked.

"George is a good name." Henrik nodded as he answered. "Or maybe Bekham."

"I think you are both missing out on how brilliant it is to name my nephew or niece after me. Women want me and men want to be me. This is a win win situation." Kol said not only to Caroline and Klaus but to the table at large.

"I like Harper or Sofia." Rebekah chimed in.

"Liam is a good name or Hayley." Finn said which surprised Caroline as he had stayed mostly silent throughout the meal.

"Caroline, is that soy sauce?" Kol asked as his nose scrunched up in distaste.

The entire table paused and looked to Caroline who was in the middle of dousing her food with something that looked very much like soy sauce. Caroline lifted a brow and held up the bottle as she looked over at Kol.

"Yes, it is. Did you want some?"

"Um, no."

"Where did you get soy sauce?" Rebekah asked in confusion.

"I brought it with me."

"You brought soy sauce with you?"

"Mmhmmm. It tastes so good on everything. You should really try some with your food." Caroline said happily as she took a large bite of her food with said sauce on top.

Before Rebekah could reply she was silenced by a look of warning from Klaus.

The meal continued much the same way, before the soy sauce incident, with the siblings throwing out suggestions for names mixed with bickering between the lot of them.

Once the meal was over they all filtered out of the restaurant going their respective ways. Elijah made it a point of letting Klaus know he was still not happy that he had kept Caroline's pregnancy a secret and that they would be discussing this more in depth at a later time. He gave Caroline a hug goodbye and asked her to give his regards to Katarina which made Caroline smirk.

Klaus escorted her home while apprising her of the fact that now that his family knew about the baby that they would make it a point to come and see her. Caroline just groaned and kept her comments to herself as she reminded herself of the fact that she had kicked him out of her place for not telling his family and that she wanted a support system. It wouldn't be so bad if you could just leave out Rebekah and Kol.

When they had finally made it back to her flat Caroline got out of the SUV and then paused when she saw Klaus start to get out as well.

"What are you doing?"

"Seeing you to your door, sweetheart."

"No. I believe I was kicking you out before your sister and brother showed up so consider yourself still kicked out. And that includes the building."

"I just want to make sure you make it safely inside, love." Klaus smirked as he got out of the SUV and curled his arm around her lower back as they started walking into her building. Caroline just walked with him and didn't protest since she knew it would be pointless because when it came to her safety Klaus was impossible to deal with.

Once they were inside and standing in front of her door Caroline turned to face Klaus asking him the question that had been nagging at her mind since lunch.

"Why did you call me your girl in front of your family? Because we are so not together."

Klaus sighed for a moment looking down at his feet before looking back to Caroline. This whole honestly thing seemed to be working for him so he decided to keep going with it.

"Because you are my girl, love. You are the mother of my child, the woman I want to be with and take care of. You are it for me Caroline."

And then he kissed her.

**XxX**

**Mwahahahaha! I know that was so evil of me to end it like that. **

**Let me know your thoughts on the chapter. It really helps direct my writing which is why your reviews are so very much appreciated. **

**Throw me your ideas for baby names! ( I tossed Hayley in there as a joke.)**

**Just a reminder that there is no beta for this story – so if you see any glaring errors just shoot me a line and I can go fix it.**

**Come and visit me on tumbler if you want - hellocutepanda . tumber . com**


	18. His Weakness

**I am so so so so sorry it took me like a month to update this. I had terrible writers block and it took me a while to get past it so I hope you will find it in your hearts to forgive me. **

**Just wanted to say a quick thank you for all of your lovely comments and PM's. I love hearing from you and appreciate your continued support of this story. **

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**XxX**

She was too stunned by his words to resist the kiss that he gave her. His lips were warm and soft as they touched hers, just as she remembered them from the last kiss they had shared. She yearned for another kiss from him for so long; to feel his mouth against hers once more was a next to heaven.

His kiss was passionate, possessive, hopeful and vulnerable. When he had declared himself to Caroline as hers and hers alone he opened himself to her. To him no woman would ever be her equal and no woman would have the same hold of his heart as she did.

His tongue traced the seam of her lips begging entry which she granted much to his surprise. His tongue plunged without reservation into her mouth plundering her sweetness, taking everything she had to give and then some. He physically shuttered when she responded to him, her tongue flicking against his, tasting him as he tasted her. His body was instantly hard with want; Caroline always managing to have him teetering on the edge of his control with her sweet responses to him.

Unable to resist the urge to touch her he slid his hands along her arms and pulled her closer to him, her belly bump preventing him from having her body flush against his own. Not that he let that stop him; his hands were everywhere, her back, her arms, the sides of her breasts. He teased her with his touch, enjoying the soft sighs and moans that he managed to capture with his kisses.

Her own hands came up to his chest, stroking the hard planes of his muscles before sliding to trace the breath of his shoulders with her fingertips. A soft growl against Caroline's lips was testament to the affect she had on him by her touch alone making her heart pound in her chest.

She broke the kiss, her head falling back as she fought for her breath. Both of them were breathing hard yet Klaus did not take the time to catch his breath but used the opportunity to attack the sweet soft skin of her neck. His mouth and teeth nipping and sucking at the succulent flesh that was on display before him. The sweet sounds that escaped Caroline's mouth made him groan, his desire increasing with every single whimper, gasp, sigh that parted from the soft pink lips of his lover. Caroline's fingers threaded through his dirty blonde curls and pulled his head up, pressing her lips to his once more for another headed kiss.

It was in the middle of their kiss as he came to cup her face that he felt wetness against his hands which at first confused him as to why her face would be wet until he realized what the wetness was: tears. Sometime in the middle of their kiss her tears had started to fall silently. He broke their kiss and pulled back slightly so that he could fully look at her and what he saw broke his heart, her lashes fluttered as she opened her eyes to reveal a look of sadness that he had seen glimpses of, but she had always quickly covered it up with a look of hatred. Now her eyes reflected nothing but the heartache that he alone had caused her.

"Love, please don't cry." Klaus pleaded as he shifted slightly to the side so he could bring her upper body against his chest, her face tucking into the hallow between his shoulder and neck as her hands came to rest against his chest. One of his hands rested against her bare neck as his other hand gently rubbed circles along her back just holding her as she cried silently against him.

This was so different than when he had seen her in the laundry mat as these tears were silent and the sadness in her eyes more palatable. He pressed tender kisses against her temple and rocked her ever so gently, and even though he felt ever so guilty that he was the cause of her sadness, the guilt increasing tenfold as he found himself relished in the pleasure of holding Caroline against him.

"You ruined it." Caroline said so quietly he almost didn't hear it as her lips were against the skin of his neck making him shudder involuntarily at their movement.

How could he say something like that? How could he tell her she was it for him when he had wronged her so badly? Again she was hit with the sadness that if he had only stayed with her that they could have been happy. To have him kiss her like he did and his confession that she was it for him broke her heart into a million pieces.

"You left and you ruined it." She spoke again.

Klaus sighed as he took the keys from the pocket of her cardigan, unlocked the door and led her inside. Putting her keys and purse aside he guided her over to the couch where he sat down and pulled her gently into his lap. Her arms curled around his neck, tucking her face against the hollow of his shoulder as one of his arms rested along her back the other resting against the curve of her belly.

They sat that way for who knows how long, her silent tears soaking his shirt as his hands slid across her body in soothing strokes trying to ease her sadness. The fact that she felt any sort of contentment with Klaus holding her just added to her misery. She loved the feel of him against her, his strong arms around her making her feel cared for, making her feel safe.

It was a while before her tears finally dried up. Her arms still anchored around his neck, her face still buried into his chest taking deep breaths. She loved the way he smelled. He smelt like the forest in Virginia, just after it had rained. He smelled like home.

"Sweetheart?" Klaus inquired softly as he continued his calming strokes against her body.

"Hmmm?" She said quietly against the soft skin of his throat. Her fingers stroked the back of his neck idly, enjoying the feel of his golden brown curls against her fingertips.

He dipped his face down to the curve of her shoulder to nuzzle the delicate skin there before pressing soft kisses along her collar bone. Her breathing hitched as his lips touched her bare skin, her fingers squeezing his neck in response.

"Have I truly ruined my chance to be with you, love?"

Caroline gave a slight shrug of her shoulder, other than that she stayed still within his arms, her face still tucked safely against his chest. Klaus sighed deeply at her answer and tightened his arms around her pulling her that much closer to him.

After a while Caroline finally spoke, her voice soft and quiet against his neck.

"You know what you have to do if you even want the chance at making amends with me."

Caroline felt him tense under her, his muscles straining as he tightened his hold on her once more. It didn't need to be said what exactly he needed to do in order to get a chance at making things right with Caroline, as their fight from this morning was still fresh in both of their minds.

Stefan.

It was like a record; they just went around and around as neither of them were willing to budge from their position. Klaus released a dejected sigh as he had foolishly thought that his declaration of telling Caroline that he was hers that she would soften a little bit. He had hoped that she would allow at least some other way of making things up to her, but she was as steadfast in what she wanted as she was this morning. This was going to force him to seriously think about the whole Stefan situation for the first time as he honestly thought he could get somehow get around it.

Of course just thinking about Stefan made him want to hit something and that something being Salvatore's face. Before Klaus could further indulge himself on his violent thoughts he felt Caroline shift in his lap and she slowly untangled herself from him to bring herself to her feet. Klaus stood up with her, his hands on her arm and back as he helped her up.

A frown pulled at his face as he looked at Caroline's face. She had black trail's running down her cheeks from her mascara and tears. Her eyes were swollen and red, and he could see the dark circles under her eyes. It pulled at his heart that he had caused this, that he had caused her pain. Unable to help himself he cupped her face with his hands, his thumbs sliding over her cheeks to wipe away the remnants of her tears.

Caroline's hands came up to cover his, her dark lashes lifting as she met his gaze. Again there was a pull at his heart as he looked into her azure eyes and found the sadness and vulnerability. With a sigh he leaned forward and pressed a kiss against her forehead. His lips lingering on her skin for a moment before he pulled back and released her face.

With that he turned and made his way out of the flat leaving Caroline to drop listlessly onto the couch left to her own thoughts to mull over everything that happened within the last 24 hours.

* * *

Klaus burst through the entry way of the building, his face a mask of anger and guilt. When he had told Caroline that she would be the only woman he would ever want he had expected anything but tears. At first he had thought that she was pleased with his declaration, especially when she had kissed him back. She had told him that she had loved him and he had hoped that she might still love him and maybe even say as much.

Yet when she had broken down in tears it tore at his black heart having his girl falling apart on him when she should be smiling. Because isn't that what girls do when a man makes a confession like that? At least that is what he thought it should be. He had no experience with this sort of thing. His women were disposable, his "parents" relationship had been a joke, and his siblings hardly knew to how function in a relationship anymore than he did, save Finn, and that relationship was boring, unlike his relationship with Caroline that had been filled with smiles, laughter, wit, fire and passion. Well at least it had been.

He wearily rubbed his forehead with his fingers as he jumped into the Range Rover. He didn't even know what to make of their last conversation. She had shrugged when he had asked if he had truly ruined any chance with her, which worried him. It wasn't a yes or a no, but when she spoke she had talked of amends. Even that morning she had talked about becoming friends. The only problem being with that wish was that he did not want to be friends with Caroline; he wanted her as his lover, in his bed and at his side.

Yet, she was resisting everything he was doing to try and get back into her good graces, at least to the point where she wasn't immediately throwing him withering glares but biggest roadblock she was throwing in his path was Stefan bloody Salvatore. It had been a month now and she still had not relented one inch on Salvatore. He was almost impressed with her loyalty and her tenacity, as he had honestly thought he would be able to sway her back into his arms without having to allow Stefan back into the country. His conversation with her today ensured that he could kiss whatever hope he had of that happening goodbye.

"Fuck." Klaus groaned in exasperation.

"Sir?" The driver asked as he flicked his gaze to the review mirror to check on his passenger, who just gave him a hard glare and the driver quickly returned his eyes forward towards the road.

Klaus had no idea how the hell he was going to allow Salvatore back into the country without having some kind of fallout that was going to be more hassle than it was worth. However, circumstances being what they were it would seem he would have no choice if he ever planned on Caroline giving him at least a chance to make things right.

He was pulled away from his thoughts as the SUV came to a stop outside the high rise that was his home. He was out the door and striding into building, most of the guards in the lobby giving him a wide birth as they all were smart enough to recognize the mood that their boss was in, as it usually led to violence should anyone get in his path.

Once Klaus was through the front door of his penthouse he immediately made his way into the study and to the bar that housed an array of liquors. With harsh movements he flipped a glass right side up and splashed a few fingers of scotch into the tumbler, the liquid spilling mostly onto the counter top of the bar. With a growl he slammed the bottle down and threw back the liquid in one gulp, the liquid burning a fiery trail down his throat.

Without a pause his tumbler was back onto the bar top and the decanter tipped once more to spill its contents haphazardly onto the glass.

"A little early to be drinking, don't you think, brother?"

Klaus snorted at his brother's commentary and downed the glass in another gulp, a sigh as he finally started to feel the effects of the amber liquid.

"And it is a little too early for you to be playing concerned older brother, Elijah." Klaus quipped bitterly as he set his glass down and refilled it once more.

Elijah frowned at his younger brother as he made his way into the study. Dark brown eyes watching his brother as Elijah unbuttoned his suit jacket and took a seat on the leather chesterfield couch that sat center in the room.

Klaus turned once his glass was once refilled, this time taking actual sips from the glass as he faced his elder brother with a look of distaste on his handsome face.

"You know why I am here, Niklaus."

Klaus just arched a brow and decided that sipping his scotch was a terrible idea and went back to downing the contents with one gulp before refilling his glass once more.

"Caroline and my baby are not up for discussion, Elijah."

"I happen to disagree, Niklaus. This child is a Mikaelson and is every concern of this family."

"We both know that I am not a Mikaelson, nor is my child." Klaus growled acidically.

"You are my brother and your child is part of our family, as is Caroline."

Klaus said nothing as he flung himself against one of the chairs across the room, holding tight to his glass of scotch.

"I can protect my girl and my child without your help."

"I never said you couldn't. But this is something we have to discuss so we can take them into consideration."

"There is nothing to take into consideration."

"I disagree. With The Five breathing down our necks and the other syndicates constantly challenging us, we need to make sure that we have our areas of vulnerability covered, especially since we have lost Stefan."

Klaus growled under his breath at the mention of Stefan.

Elijah watched his brother carefully, mulling over the topic he was about to bring up for a moment before speaking.

"Kol was right wasn't he? The day that you fought with Stefan, it was about Caroline." Elijah asked, voicing a question he was pretty sure he already knew the answer to.

Klaus averted his eyes from his brothers, a guilty look on his face as he lifted the tumbler of scotch to his lips and drowned the contents in one swift gulp. It was all the acknowledgment that Elijah needed to know that his assumption was correct.

"What did you do brother?"

Klaus scowled as he got up from the couch and made his way back to the bar, refilling his glass haphazardly before turning to face his elder brother. Although his face was a mask of anger and his eyes reflected the shame for what he was about to confess to his brother.

"I – " The words got stuck in his throat and Klaus took a breath before he tried to speak once more.

"I played at being Caroline's boyfriend so that I could sleep with her. And once I slept with her I left."

Elijah just shook his head and looked down at his hands for a moment, he wanted to be stunned at his brother's actions, but he couldn't because he well acquainted with the selfishness the drove his brother.

"The fight with Stefan was a result of him coming to punish me for my sins against Caroline." Klaus said sardonically as he took another drink from his glass, well on the way to becoming tossered.

Elijah sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes, unable to look at his brother at the moment. It was any wonder that Caroline was so hostile towards Klaus. He had seen how she had shrugged off his arm as well as turn away from him with a frown when he had talked about working on mending their relationship.

"There is one thing I do not understand, Niklaus. If you had only meant to bed the girl then why are you trying to get back together with her? Is it only for the child?" Elijah asked as he dropped his hand from his face, eyes opening to meet his brother's gaze.

Klaus met his brother's chocolate brown eyes before dropping his gaze to look contemplatively in his glass, swirling the golden liquid around for a few moments before answering.

"No, it isn't for the child… I –" Klaus paused looking for the right words.

"I care for her….deeply." Klaus hated to admit his feelings to his brother. He had told his brother long ago that love was a weakness, so to confess that he cared for someone was something that pained him greatly. He was pretty sure the only reason he was even telling Elijah was because of the amount of liquor he had consumed.

Elijah lifted his brows in surprise, not expecting the answer Klaus had given him.

"Did you feel this way before or after she became pregnant?"

"Before."

"Is that why you left her?" Elijah asked as he tilted his head slightly to the side watching his brother carefully. Elijah knew his brother better than Klaus knew himself and knew his feelings about caring for someone who was not family.

Klaus gave a curt nod of his head before downing the glass of scotch and turning to refill it. At this point it crossed his mind that it would be more efficient to just drink straight out of the bottle, but didn't act on it given he didn't want to deal with the looks Elijah would give him if he did as much.

Elijah lifted his eyebrows as he tried to wrap his mind around the neurosis that was Klaus, his fingers lifting to rub at the creases in his forehead.

"Why allow yourself to have her now? If you left because you cared for her, then what has changed that you are now allowed to be with Caroline?"

"She is family now." Klaus said with a slight slur

Elijah slowly closed his eyes and allowed his face to drop into his hand, shaking his head from side to side as he came to terms with what his brother just confessed. Swallowing once, Elijah lifted his head to look at his brother once more who was standing a little unsteady on his feet.

"You mean to tell me that you would have never gone back to Caroline had she not been pregnant?"

"Family above all, brother." Klaus lifting his glass in a mock toast before taking a drink.

"You bloody idiotic fool."

Klaus paused with the glass tilted half way to his lips as he registered the words his brother had uttered, brow lifting up sharply as he dropped the glass from his lips and looked to his brother for explanation.

"Do you mean to tell me that you would have denied yourself happiness just so you would not appear weak?"

"I was weak once brother, I will not be weak again."

Elijah was up on his feet at once, moving to stand in front of his younger brother and placing a hand on his shoulder as his wise brown eyes looked upon Klaus.

"The way our father treated you was unforgiveable, but you have to understand that everything he said about you was completely untrue. You were not weak then nor are you now."

"Your father, not mine."

"He still was the only father we had."

"A father that hated me."

"How long will you allow that to rule you, Niklaus?"

Klaus growled and threw his glass across the room, the tumbler hitting the wall and shattering into pieces.

"_You know nothing_!" Klaus roared as he stepped up, brining his face dangerously close to Elijah's, his eyes bright and his breathing heavy as he stared his brother down. Elijah remained stoic and unflinching as he met his brother's harsh glare.

"You think that because father did not love you that no one will. That is why you fear it, you are afraid that if you allow yourself to love someone that they will not love you back. That is why you only allow yourself to care for family; it is a guarantee against that vulnerability of opening yourself up."

Vulnerability. That word alone was enough to make Klaus clench his hands into fists. He hated how right his brother was. Mikael had said again and again how no one would ever care about him; so it was only a matter of time before Klaus believed his words to be true. Not wanting to ever have to face the truth of someone he cared for not caring for him he created a defense. He would not allow himself to care for anyone other than his family; it would keep him from ever being hurt.

It was an easy defense to have, because the way to avoid caring for people was just not to connect to them. He kept things on a superficial level with everyone save a very few such as his friends Marcel and Stefan. And even then the relationship was mostly built off of their shared interest around the business.

It was when Caroline came along that he was actually forced to connect with her. He had fooled himself into thinking that it was just a game with her and that he could keep his feelings tucked safely away. Yet his game turned into reality and he found himself falling in love with her. He tried to lie to himself, denying he felt anything for her yet his heart said otherwise.

There were times that he actually hoped she would hold out for as long as she could so he could have that much more time with her. Yet he could not regret that night he spent with her, it was honestly the most amazing sex he had ever had and it wasn't because she was more skilled or more beautiful than other women he had been with. The sex was amazing because it wasn't emotionless. Caroline had once let it slip that she had loved him and it helped him piece together what was so different being in her arms versus some nameless woman. It explained why he couldn't even fuck let alone kiss another woman after he had been with her because Caroline had been the first time he had ever slept with someone that he cared about and she had cared about him in return.

"You were a fool brother to deny yourself a chance to be happy all because of what father said. You are not a monster, Niklaus. Having a heart does not make you weak." Elijah said as he squeezed his brother's shoulder.

Klaus closed his eyes at Elijah's words. Was he a fool? Had he allowed Mikael to rob him of his happiness once more? Caroline's voice floated into his head, a reminder that he had ruined what they had together. The woman who meant everything to him had only told him hours ago that he had ruined things between them. Although there was a small chance he could fix things, a small chance that she would allow him to even try and fix things between them.

The very thought of Stefan Salvatore made him seethe in anger, but if he wanted to have a chance to make things right with the woman he loved he would have to allow him back. His pride battled fiercely at the very thought of allowing his enforcer back into the country, but it might be his only chance.

Breathing harshly, his mind a whirl wind of thoughts, Klaus jerked out of his brothers hold and moved towards to the bar grabbing the bottle and stormed out of the room needing time and space to think.

Elijah gave a deep sigh, watching his brother walk out the door.

**XxX**

**This chapter was pretty emotionally heavy and we also see the method behind the madness that drives Klaus – so let me know your thoughts on it. **


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